Captivated
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: Hiccup thought he had escaped the witch's wrath, he thought he'd be safe with her locked away in a prison cell...but he was wrong and now it's up to his friends to save him. The witch is back. And this time, she's out for blood. Two OCs. (BOOK 2) *Sequel to Bewitched* REVIEWS make me happy :)
1. Pushed

_**Chapter One**_

_**A/N: Okie-dokie, here we are! For those of you who haven't read the prequel (entitled 'Bewitched'), it's okay to read this on its own. (Although it will be EXTREMELY helpful to read Bewitched first...it will make a ton more sense.) I'll try to explain things as they come but the most useful tool to you right now, is the opening narration. It explains basically what happened in the last fanfic...**_

_**And for those of who DID read Bewitched...WELCOME BACK! I hope you guys enjoy and thanks for reading!**_

_**Also...I'm in the process of making animated 'trailer' of sorts for Bewitched. (For my Graphic Animation class). So when I finish it, I'll upload to youtube and let you guys know :)**_

* * *

_"This is Berk. About a month ago, we discovered that witches and spirits are more than just creepy ghost stories to tell around a campfire... A woman named Aragwen, chief of the village of Farfalee and a witch herself, tried to have me killed in order to revive her dead son, Hinrik, so she could impress some spirit they called the 'Dark One'. Hinrik's ghost possessed my body and, if it hadn't been for his own goodness, I wouldn't be alive today... He managed to save me but his mother is still alive, locked in our prison and awaiting the day when she can finally get her revenge. I just hope that day never comes..."_

* * *

_Drip..._

_ Drip..._

_ Drip..._

_ Drip..._

Somewhere off in the distance, water is leaking through the cracked ceiling of Berk's prison. Each drop rolls in one at a time, slipping off the edge of the roof and plopping to the stone floor almost in timed beat. One could almost keep rhythm to the monotonous sound.

But Aragwen is getting tired of hearing it. All day, everyday the water dips into her cell, puddling on the floor just at the foot of her uncomfortable, metal framed cot. She's also getting tired of eating the same thing everyday. It's some kind of bland porridge with half-stale bread and a cup of luke-warm water. Revolting. Back in her home land, Farfalee, she was a chief! She ate like royalty! But here... She shivers at the thought of this nasty little island that will someday be ruled by the brat who stole away her son: her _best _and _only _chance to impress the Dark One.

_Hiccup! _She grinds her teeth together at the sound of his name in her head. Over this past month, she's grown bitter toward Stoick's scrawny little son. How DARE he interfere?! How DARE he turn Hinrik against her?!

Suddenly, she sits up. Her blue eyes blazing with fury. Aragwen stands up in her little cell and goes to the bars. Peeking through, she squints into the darkness. Looking left, then right, then left again, she decides it's clear. There are no guards around.

_Just wait, Hiccup... _She muses, almost cheerily. _You'll regret turning my dear, precious Hinrik against me... _The witch drops to her knees beside the bed and gingerly reaches underneath, her slim fingers wrapping around something. She draws it out, cradling the object in her palm as if it were her life itself.

Which, in a way...it sort of is.

The tiny chunk of stone is nearly falling apart in her hands. It's one of the little bits that fell out from the hole in her roof. The very one where that terrible leak comes from. She turns it over in her hands, being very careful not to break it. It's so grainy and delicate. Almost like...chalk.

She smirks down at it. _I wonder... _She leans down, pressing the tip of her makeshift chalk into the floor. _Just how much do you care about them...? _

The gentle sound scratching chalk on pavement floats through the barren halls of the prison block. No one is around to hear Aragwen planning her escape...

* * *

"Hookfang, _annihilate_!" Snotlout jabs an enthusiastic finger at the stack of barrels sitting in the far corner of the Dragon Training Academy. His rebellious Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang, glances up at him with big, uninterested yellow eyes. Shifting and even yawning, he lifts his massive neck and head, turning to face his target. "I said," Snotlout repeats. "ANNIHILATE!"

The dragon snorts, smoke spilling from his huge nostrils. He shifts his weight and crawls to his feet, snapping his jaws at his Rider. Then, with an irritated grunt, he shoots off a blast of flames. They swallow up the barrels in a fraction of a second, leaving nothing but cinders.

"Ha!" Snotlout folds his arms, grinning smugly. "Now _that's _some first class dragon training! Top that, Hiccup!" He steals a glance at his 'arch-rival', only to be slightly annoyed at the lack of awe on the other boy's face.

"Yeahh..." Hiccup rolls his eyes. "Nicely done, Snotlout. Fishlegs, you're up."

The chubby, blonde boy looks up at his friend with an uncertain look on his face. "Um, sure. Okay." He gets up and motions to Meatlug, his lazy Gronckle. "Come on, girl! Let's show them what we've got!"

Her eyes flutter open and she purrs at her Rider, wagging her spiky tail. Her wings buzz as they lift her to her feet.

"Okay, Meatlug..." Fishlegs says, slowly. "I need you to destroy those barrels...do you think you can do that for me?"

She eyes the barrels, which the twins have sloppily thrown into place. Her tongue slips out as if in focus as she awkwardly steers herself into position. Then, her throat trembles as a gurgling sound begins to well up inside it. Throwing her head to the side, she spews a flaming hunk of rock and lava at the barrels. They shatter upon impact, embers raining down onto the floor from twenty feet up.

"Yay! Way to go, Meatlug!" Fishlegs throws his arms around the dragon's neck, hugging her affectionately. "Who's my tough girl!? You!"

She licks his cheek, causing him to giggle.

Hiccup smirks at the two of them and shakes his head. "Good job, you two." He says, reaching up to scratch his own dragon's ear when he nudges his waist. Toothless, a jet-black Night Fury with emerald-green eyes, coos at his little human and nuzzles his cheek. His long tail flaps against the ground, smacking it impatiently.

"Hiccup," Fishlegs says. "I think you'd better go next. Toothless seems pretty eager to show off..."

The freckled boy chuckles in agreeance. "I guess you're right. Okay, bud..." He turns to face the barrels, a determined and thrilled glint in his viridian eyes. "Plasma blast!"

There's the distinctive screeching sound of a charging Night Fury...and then-

_BAM!_

The barrels literally explode into the air, flickering with flames and accompanied by a flash of purple light. Toothless drones and shakes his head, glancing sideways at Hiccup as if to ask, "did I do good?".

Hiccup grins at him and pats the dragon's head. "Good job, bud. As accurate as ever!"

Snotlout snorts and rolls his eyes. "Sure! But can your dragon do _this_?!" He spins around to face Hookfang, clearly wanting show off some more...but the Monstrous Nightmare is nowhere to be seen. "Hookfang?"

Hiccup arcs an eyebrow. How could there be five of them in arena and none of them notice a five-thousand pound, bright red lizard wandering away? He's about to voice his concern, when he feels Toothless's back rumbling beneath him. He turns, staring at his friend in confusion.

Toothless is growling, a fierce look on his face...

"Toothless?" Hiccup asks, gently. "What's the matter?"

The Night Fury looks at him, his ears folding back against his head. He whimpers at Hiccup. He's trying to tell him something.

"Toothless...?"

But suddenly, the dragon snaps back to attention. A terrifying roar bursting from his throat. He takes off running, quickly followed by Meatlug and Hoofang, who had been hanging upside down on the roof and staring outside with a look of suspicion.

"Hey, Meatlug!" Fishlegs protests. "Where are you going?!"

"Let's go." Hiccup starts running after them. There's a disturbed expression of his face. Toothless never goes anywhere without him... "Something's wrong." He decides. "We've got to follow them."

* * *

Outside, the air cool and moist. A heavy fog has settled over the island of Berk and it hangs over the ground, obscuring everything below Hiccup's knees. Normally, in this kind of weather, he is very careful. For Berk's terrain is anything but reliable. Jutting rocks and deep sink holes are not uncommon and Hiccup has twisted his ankle more than once in these hazards.

But today, he doesn't care. He sprints as fast as he can through the soupy mist, pumping his arms and trying desperately to keep track of where his dragon has gone. The only bad thing about a Night Fury...they are sometimes very hard to see in dark or obscured places, thanks to their gloomy coloration.

Thankfully, as he's running through the fog, Toothless is being very vocal. He roars and growls, as if trying to help steer his Rider in the right direction. And Hiccup easily follows his voice, ears perked for any sounds that could have caused the Night Fury to rush away like that.

But instead of hearing the sounds of a fight or even a dragon attack...what he _does_ hear...is the rushing sound of a waterfall. Confused, Hiccup picks up speed. In this fog, he hadn't realized how close they'd gotten to it, but he knows this waterfall. It's the ending of a large river that snakes through the woods, dumping massive amounts of water over the edge of a sheer cliff.

But why would Toothless lead him here?

Just as he reaches the drop, he understands... "A-Astrid?" He whispers, eyeing her in shock. He'd wondered why she hadn't shown up to training...but he'd just assumed she'd been busy with chores...or helping her parents... So why is she...? "Astrid!" He tries again, his heart thundering in his chest.

The lovely blonde girl, who Hiccup had grown very close to over these past few years, is standing on the lip of the cliff. Her body wobbling dangerously. There's a dreamy look in her eyes, as if she doesn't believe this is real... When Hiccup calls her name, she doesn't react in any way. Other than, of course, lifting one foot and proceeding to step off the cliff...

"NO!" Hiccup screams, rushing forward in a blind panic. WHY WOULD SHE- His thoughts are interrupted as Toothless suddenly appears. The dragon slips his head and shoulder beneath Hiccup, scooping his Rider onto his back. Then, in an instant, the two of them are sailing down after her...

Hiccup snaps back into reality and steers Toothless closer. He reaches out, his fingers extending to grab her. After a few missed swings, he wraps his arm around her waist and throws himself backwards, tugging her limp body into the saddle in front of him.

But by now, they've nearly reached the ocean's thrashing surface. Sea foam sprays up into the air, soaking Hiccup's face and hair as he slams down on the foot pedal. "UP, TOOTHLESS!" He shouts, desperately. "NOW!"

And the Night Fury obeys. He fans open his wings, slamming into the wind and arching back into the sky at nearly a ninety degree angle. The furious ocean screams in protest as his wings hiss over them. Only a short moment later, the three of them explode back over the top of the cliff, spinning a few times before leveling off...

"Astrid..." Hiccup whispers, staring at the girl's unconscious face with terrified eyes. He touches her cheek, noting the abnormal coolness of it. "Hey, wake up." He doesn't actually expect that to work, so when her eyes suddenly flutter open, he can't suppress his gasp.

"Hiccup...?" She breathes, eyeing him curiously with tired blue eyes. "What's going on? Where are we?"

He frowns, disturbed. "You don't remember?"

She shakes her head. Their bodies are jolted slightly as Toothless lands. Fishlegs and Snotlout race over, staring at the two of them with wide, shocked eyes. "Are you guys okay?!" Fishlegs pants. "What happened?!"

Hiccup looks up at them, pale as a ghost. He doesn't protest when Snotlout comes over to help Astrid up, pulling her from his arms. His hands are shaking, his heart thumping against his ribs. He isn't exactly sure how...but he recognizes those symptoms.

A trance-like state, no memory of events afterwards, coolness of the skin...

A chill runs through him like icy fingers when he realizes what just happened. "Astrid just got pushed..." He breathes.

She flashes him a look from where she's leaning against Hookfang. "What?" She demands.

But Hiccup doesn't respond. He feels frozen, terror burning in his chest. _Aragwen did this...but how? We destroyed her Tether to the Dark One...she shouldn't have been able to... _He shuts his eyes.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asks, wobbling as she tries to stand on her own two feet. "Are you alright...? What do you mean I got 'pushed'?"

He gazes at her from the tops of his hard eyes. "We need to find my dad." There's a certain harshness to his voice that makes no one question his judgement. The other teens just nod and follow him as he hops onto his dragon and takes off in the direction of the village.

* * *

_**A/N: Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed!**_


	2. Aragwen the Witch

_**Chapter Two**_

_**A/N: Yay! Chpater two! :D I hope you like it!**_

* * *

The sun has fallen over Berk. The horizon is bruised a deep shade of violet, stars already shimmering way up in the heavens. The temperature has taken a fall as well. The air now boasting degrees just above freezing.

Hiccup paces back and forth across the porch outside Gothi's hut. The powerful scent of incense clings to the air, making him almost dizzy. But he refuses to leave. Not after Astrid nearly died.

He bites his lip and rakes a hand through his hair. Right now, Astrid is inside with the elderly medicine woman, being checked out to make sure she's okay. He sighs impatiently. What is taking so long?! That's when Toothless decides to try again... The fierce Night Fury, the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, crawls across the wooden floor and whimpers at his friend. He offers a pathetic look, staring at Hiccup from the tops of his eyes in what the boy has recently dubbed as his 'puppy-dog eyes'.

And Hiccup takes notice of it. _Well, at least he's back to normal. _But that's little comfort. He sighs and sits down beside the dragon, allowing Toothless to lean his head in his lap. _I know Astrid was pushed...I can tell. She would never walk off a cliff on her own. But that still leaves the question...was this Aragwen's doing? _He remembers how he and Hinrik, Aragwen's dead son who possessed Hiccup's body, had fought long and hard to destroy her connection to the evil spirit she serves. The Tether had burned into nothingness...she shouldn't be able to contact the Dark One anymore...so how would she do this? _Maybe it's not her. _He reasons. _Dad did mention there were other witches on Farfalee...maybe it's on of them. _

He groans and pushes away from Toothless, frustrated at his lack of answers. He gets to his feet. _Well, there's only one way to find out for sure. _Glancing at Toothless, he grimaces. No way he'll let his Rider talk to Aragwen. Not after what happened last month... "Stay here, bud." He says, forcing an innocent smile. "I'm, uh...going for a walk to clear my head. Roar if anything happens."

Toothless tilts his head and coos at Hiccup.

"I-I'll be right back." He lies as he begins to back away from his dragon. "Stay here."

Toothless watches as his little human takes off running down the stairs. Hiccup turns right, heading into the village. Why would he not bring Toothless with him...? The dragon's ears fold back, his eyes narrowing after Hiccup. What is he up to?

* * *

A faint smile touches Aragwen's lips when she hears the sound of one padded boot and one metal leg jogging through the dark corridors of the prison. Seems Hiccup has finally caught on... Maybe targeting the girl first really was a good idea. She plasters on her sweetest smile and stands up, folding her arms.

A second later, the chief's son rounds the corner and appears in front of her. So young, so tiny...so vulnerable. His green eyes flicker across her face in a look of pure mistrust and suspicion. Without warning, he suddenly says, "I know what you did."

"Oh?" She tilts her head and smiles. "Do you?"

He growls and steps toward her cell. "The only thing I don't understand is how. How did you do it? We _destroyed _your bond to the Dark One..."

Aragwen shrugs. "I don't know what you're talking about."

This seems to infuriate the boy more than she would have predicted. "Don't play dumb!" He snarls. "You tried to _kill _Astrid! You pushed her to walk off a cliff!"

Aragwen snickers at his rage. "Oh, that's what you meant. You really should be more specific next time."

Hiccup glares at her. "How did you do it?" He repeats, bitingly.

She chuckles and shakes her head, slowly. Backing away from the cell door, she paces over to her bed and sinks down onto its stiff surface. "Well you see, Hiccup," She begins. "Pushing is not a hard thing to do. Although it's rather taxing without a medium."

He tilts his head, clearly intrigued. "A medium?"

She nods. "Yes. Surely you remember the pendant I gave you..."

Hiccup swallows at the memory of it. That thing nearly got him killed... _So it was to carry over her pushes as well as Hinrik's soul...no wonder she wanted me to keep it so badly. _"But we destroyed the Tether. How are you still able to push?"

"Pushing doesn't require a Tether. Any witch can do it once they've signed their names in the red book." She replies, matter-of-factly. "For example," She grins wickedly at him. "Say I wanted to make _you _cut yourself with that broken piece of glass there..." She nods toward a little shard laying on the floor and Hiccup finds himself wondering where it came from. But his thoughts are interrupted when he gets the sudden urge to...touch it.

Before he knows what he's doing, his arm is reaching out for it. His slim little fingers wrap around it, not minding the sharp edges that dig into his skin. Blood wells up and drips onto the floor but still, he holds onto it. He turns his arm over so the soft, fleshy forearm is exposed.

Aragwen giggles as he lowers the sharp edge to his skin, her eyes lighting up in morbid fascination.

Hiccup's expression is blank, his mind clouded as he begins the cut. Starting at the inside of his elbow and moving down to his wrist... He slits about an inch of his skin before-

_WACK!_

Something heavy slams into Hiccup, knocking him off his feet. He yelps in pain as he looks down at his arm, his mind freed of Aragwen's hold... He fell of the shard of glass. It's now buried under his skin, blood gushing to the surface so quickly it makes his head spin. "Ah..." He whimpers, looking up to see what hit him.

Toothless growls, furiously at Aragwen. His retractable teeth in full view as he stomps his feet and flaps his wings in a threatening motion. He is what plowed into Hiccup a moment ago, thus breaking Aragwen's spell over him. And now, he has positioned himself between the dangerous witch and his naive little Rider.

"Toothless..." Hiccup croaks, hissing in pain as the glass shard aches under his skin. He blinks, marveling at how blurred his vision has become...

The dragon snaps at him, clearly annoyed that Hiccup had gotten himself in danger once again. With a little snort, the Night Fury wraps his tail around Hiccup's waist and backs up, ushering the teen toward the exit.

"W-wait!" He protests, digging his feet into the floor so he won't slide anymore. He levels his gaze with Aragwen's. "What is it, exactly, that you want from me?!"

She smirks at him. "You know what I want."

He grinds his teeth together and leans his bleeding body on the wall when he growls, "Humor me."

With a dramatic sigh, she says, "All I really want is to impress the Dark One."

"Then why waste your time trying to kill me?" He asks. "Shouldn't you be more focused on doing that?!"

She laughs, amused at his feeble attempt to save his own life. "You see, Hiccup, you ruined my best chance of impressing him by turning my dear son against me."

He waits, expectantly.

"Of course, where there's a will, there's a way." She continues. "And I've finally managed to think of a way...if _you_ help me, Hiccup-"

"No." He interrupts her. "Absolutely not."

"-then I _won't_ kill you or your friends."

He stops, taken aback by her threat. Is she being serious...? She's locked up in prison and she's threatening to kill people? Then again...she's proved rather resourceful before...and what if she _did_ manage to hurt someone? Hiccup would never forgive himself... For a fraction of a second, he actually considers it. After all, if it means keeping his friends safe then... No. "No." He says, shaking his head furiously. "I'm not that stupid, Aragwen. Even if you _can_ still push people, we'll find a way to stop you. I'm not helping you do anything!" With that, he spins around and stalks off toward the door, mumbling for Toothless to follow him.

But Aragwen's voice sends a chill down his spine as he opens the door.

"Don't underestimate me, Hiccup...I _will_ get my revenge, one way or another."


	3. Cornered

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A/N: Just in case anyone was wondering, the difference between being possessed and being 'pushed' is this: **_

_**Being possessed (within the context of THIS story) means having the ghost flawlessly control your every move and everything you say.**_

_**Being 'pushed' means one, single movement at a time. (Like when Hiccup almost drowned himself in the bathtub in Bewitched). It's easier to push people using a medium, meaning the pushes can be stronger and last a longer time. (Which is why Hiccup eventually snapped out of it before he actually drowned.) But Aragwen is still able to do it because her name is signed in the 'red book', as mention in the last chapter. You'll find out what that is later...**_

* * *

"Nnn!" Hiccup cringes, yelping as the needle dives into his flesh again. He shivers at the feeling of his skin being sewn back together, even though it doesn't hurt. Gothi made sure to numb his arm before giving him stitches. But still... He averts his eyes, not wanting to see it anymore. His gaze finds the little metal pan sitting beside him. The water inside is stained red with his blood, bits of glass bobbing around in the bottom of it from where Gothi picked them out of his skin. He feels sick at the sight of it.

Astrid is seated across from him, on Gothi's bed. She still looks sort of pale and tired, like she could go to sleep and not wake up for several days. But her eyes are alert as they watch the medicine woman's wrinkled hands carefully stitching Hiccup's arm. "So Aragwen is still a threat, huh?" She mumbles, absently. Then, looking up at Hiccup's face, she grimaces. _He's still in danger, then. Even after all this time...she still wants to-_

_ BAM!_

The door slams open as Stoick barges inside, his brow knotted and his jaw set in an expression of determination. In his arms is a crumpled, pale human form. Fishlegs appears to be unconscious.

Hiccup's heart leaps into his throat. He jumps to his feet, having forgotten about the stitches that are still in progress. Fortunately, the needle is not in his skin now, merely dangling from the string. "What happened?!" Hiccup gasps, staring at his friend collapsed in his father's arms.

"He crashed his dragon in the middle of town!" Stoick tells them. "One second he was doing fine and then in the next, he was on the ground! No one knows what happened!" He sets the prone boy onto the bed across from Astrid's and brushes Fishleg's hair out of his face to reveal a long, painful looking cut. "He might have a concussion..."

"Poor Fishlegs..." Astrid breathes, clearly worried about him. "Hiccup, you don't think it may have been..."

He frowns. "I don't know. It could have her but there's no way to know just yet...he could have gotten distracted or something."

"Could have been who?" Stoick asks, turning to face his son. Only then does he notice the stitches and pan of watery blood. "Hiccup!" He gasps, rushing over to look at the wound. "What happened?!"

The teen steals an uncertain look at Astrid. Should he tell Stoick that Aragwen did this? He might do something drastic... The girl nods as if to say, 'tell him'. So, with a sigh, Hiccup does.

"It was Aragwen." He mutters, noticing the way his father's posture stiffens at the mention of her name. "I don't know how but...she's still able to push people. She almost killed Astrid this morning and...when I went to talk to her about it..." He lifts his numb arm, referring to the half-stitched wound.

"She can still...do that?" Stoick breathes, earning a nod from his son. "And you went to _see her_ after learning that?!" He hisses, furiously. "What were you thinking?! You could have been killed!"

"Dad, I-"

"Gothi, finish putting my son back together." Stoick orders as he barges toward the door. "I'm going to have a word with Aragwen..."

"No!" Hiccup shouts, fumbling to grab his father's arm. His heart is suddenly pumping very fast. The idea of his dad in the same room as Aragwen... It sends shivers down his spine. "Please listen to me! If you go there, she'll-"

"She won't do a thing." Stoick growls, threateningly. He shakes off his son's grip and grabs the door handle. "She's been our prisoner long enough. And now she's gone as far as to attack my son _again_..."

Hiccup swallows. This isn't going to end well...

"We were merciful before. She won't be so lucky this time." With that, he stalks through the door, slamming it behind him. Hiccup remains where he was, eyes wide, a pained look on his face.

_Dad..._

* * *

"I don't know about this, Stoick!"

Aragwen's eyes slowly open at the sound of the voice. She sits up in her metal bed and listens, curious of why Stoick the Vast would be here now, in the middle of the night. Suddenly, she grins. _Ah, he must have found out about Hiccup... _With that realization, she gets up and goes to the bars.

"Well I do, Gobber!" Stoick shouts in the distance. "She tried to kill Hiccup!"

_Oh ho, he sounds MAD!_

"Think about it!" Gobber persists. "What are you going to do? March in there and slit her throat? She's still the chief of Farfalee! Doing that will start a war!"

"I don't care!" Stoick growls as he throws open another door, his voice getting closer.

"But you _should_ care!" The sound of their footsteps stops. "Stoick, I know you love your son. I know you're just trying to protect him...but you have to remember: you're the chief as well."

Stoick doesn't reply.

"You have a duty to your people to uphold. Are you willing to endanger them? The men and women and children who are relying on you to do the right thing and keep them safe?"

He still gets no response.

Gobber sighs, deeply. "And mind you, if you start a war..._Hiccup_ will be in danger as well. As the son of the man who killed their chief...they might just target him."

When Stoick groans in conflicted despair, Aragwen smiles. _Fool...you should have killed me when you had the chance. _She holds out her hands, palms extended. _This will take a lot out of me...but it ought to be fun! _In the back of her mind, the picture of a face floats to the surface. A girl's face. _Let's get started..._

* * *

"I can't believe this..." Hiccup whispers for the hundredth time. He is sitting on the floor in Gothi's hut, absently cradling his stitched arm. The medicine woman has left for a time, probably to clean out the bloody pan of water. "Why wouldn't he listen to me...? What if he gets hurt?"

"Hiccup," Astrid scolds, a slight frown on her face. "You're worrying too much. Your father can take care of himself. Besides, didn't you say Aragwen mentioned that pushing people takes a lot of energy?"

He nods, glumly.

"Then she's probably still tired from pushing us." Without exactly knowing why, she gets up off the bed and walks over him. Kneeling in front of him, she touches his shoulder and smiles, reassuringly. "He'll be okay."

Hiccup sighs and looks up at her, their eyes meeting. He parts his lips as if to say something...but suddenly, Astrid's ears begins to ring. She can't hear him. Her thoughts are fuzzy. Only one thought is clear, but she's sure it isn't hers...

_"Kill him..." _It hisses. _"Kill him..."_

_ N-no! _She squeezes her eyes shut, trying desperately to fight the push. Now that she recognizes the feeling, it's obvious that this is what happened to her by the cliff... Aragwen really _did _cause her to jump. And now...she's forcing Astrid's hand to reach behind her, to where she keeps a knife in her waistband...

"Astrid? Astrid!" Hiccup's voice comes back into focus and she realizes he's gripping her shoulders, staring straight into her eyes. He looks afraid. "Hey! Answer me!"

"R..." She chokes out.

He hesitates. "What?"

"Run..."

Hiccup cries out in shock when her arm lashes out, the tip of a blade nearly skimming his throat as he leaps back. He stares at her in horror. "Astrid..." But by the desperate look on her face, he can tell she's being pushed. She can't control her own movements. Her arm whips out again, coming dangerously close to his chest this time. _What do I do?! _

She attacks once more, the knife slicing through his sleeve but, thankfully, not biting his skin.

_What do I do?! _He keeps moving, stumbling further and further away. Eventually, he'll reach the wall and be trapped. _What do I do?!_

But suddenly, Astrid stops chasing him. Her hands tremble as they change their grip on the knife. Both teens watch in horror as she turns the blade inward, pointing it toward her own chest.

"No..." Hiccup breathes, panic rising within him.

She draws back her arms, preparing to stab herself. Astrid's breaths hitch in fear. Her whole body is shaking. She whimpers as her arms move on their own, plunging the knife toward herself.

"_NO!_" Hiccup screams as he dives forward. Without thinking, he smacks the weapon out of her hand, causing it to fall to the floor with a heavy _clang_! The moment he's within her reach, Astrid grabs him.

He gasps when her hands wrap around his throat, shoving him into the wall so hard the breath his knocked out of him. He struggles for air but her hands are strong, closing his throat. Within seconds, he sees stars. "As-trid!" He chokes out, pleadingly.

A few more painful seconds of fruitless struggle later, Hiccup is suddenly released. He collapses to the floor, coughing and wheezing. He sucks in a lungful of oxygen and then continues to cough.

"Oh gods..."

He looks up, squinting through faded vision. Astrid is staring at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She drops to her knees and clamps a hand over her mouth in pure terror.

"Oh gods...Hiccup...I-I'm so sorry! I-I couldn't...I mean..I..."

His throat hurts a tremendous amount but ignores it for the time being. "I-It's okay, Astrid..." He wheezes. "That w-was Aragwen...not y-you."

She sniffles, nodding her head. "Are you okay...?"

"I'm f-fi-ne..." He tells her, tripping over the words because his throat stings like its been attacked by a swarm of bees. Then, with a grim look on his face, he says, "We n-need to find me dad. Aragwen mi-ght try to push him too..."

She nods and they stand up together, Astrid supporting a bit of his weight as they hurry for the door. Hiccup bites his lip, silently cursing himself for letting his father leave. Now he might be in danger.


	4. No One is Safe

_**Chapter Four**_

_**A/N: WRITER'S BLOCK SUCKS! :(**_

"DAD!" Hiccup shouts as he bursts through the prison door. The long corridor on the other side is dimly lit and empty. No Stoick in sight. The teen's chest tightens in fear. Where could he be...?

That's when Astrid races in behind him and Toothless after her. "Hiccup!" She pants. "What's the matter with you? Why did you take off without us?!" She grabs his good arm and forces him to turn and face her.

He's frowning, his brow knotted with worry. "Sorry...I just...want to find him before he does anything drastic. Who knows what will happen if he tries to kill Aragwen...?"

Sensing his Rider's concern, Toothless drones and nudges the boy's leg as if to say 'don't worry'. He purrs happily when Hiccup leans down to pet his head.

"Hiccup, your father knows how dangerous she is. He'll be careful around and besides," She offers him a supportive smile when she says, "Gobber is on guard duty tonight. If anyone can talk Stoick out of doing something rash, it's him."

The boy nods, glumly. "I guess you're right. But still..." He turns and gazes at the empty hall, a shiver running down his spine. "Something's not right here. Where is everyone?"

"I don't know..." She admits. "We'll take a look around. I'm sure your dad is here somewhere."

* * *

About twenty minutes later, the kids are still searching the various cell blocks. Toothless follows very closely behind them, his ears perked for any suspicious noises. They've gone very deep into the dark jail and, if it wasn't for the presence of a few scattered windows, they would have lost all sense of time. Needless to say, it's an ominous atmosphere. Even the _dragon_ is beginning to get the heebie-jeebies.

"What cell block is Aragwen in...?" Astrid whispers, her hands still locked firmly around Hiccup's arm. Maybe now it's more for comfort than a fear that he'll take off and get into trouble...

Hiccup swallows and flashes her a sheepish smile. "This one." In fact, her cell is only about ten feet down the next hall. And still, no Stoick or Gobber. Could they have left already? But wouldn't the teens have passed them if they had? Where else would they go...? All these questions, plus more, are floating through Hiccup's mind. It's no wonder he doesn't notice when Toothless begins to act strangely...

It's starts with Toothless shaking his head over and over, as if he has something in his ears. Then, he staggers a little. His wing brushes the wall at one point. The dragon blinks, quickly. He feels confused. What's happening...? Maybe if he just closes his eyes for a few seconds, it will go away... So he does.

But then-

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup screams.

The Night Fury's eyes burst open, his heart giving a frightful jump. He immediately sees Aragwen, free of her cell. The woman's hands are wrapped around Hiccup's arms, holding him against the wall. His little Rider struggles but can't seem to break free of her.

Furiously, Toothless lunges at her. He tackles the witch to the ground, snapping his jaws and growling as he tries to bite her. But she holds him back, seeming afraid of him. Good. She _should_ be afraid!

"Toothless!" Hiccup gasps. "What are you doing?!"

What does it _look_ like he's doing! He's keeping his friend safe! But Hiccup still grabs his dragon's shoulders and tries to drag him off. WHY!? Is she controlling him again? Forcing him to help her?! Toothless allows himself one glance at his Rider, just to see if he is being pushed... But Hiccup only looks confused and terrified.

"Get off her!" Hiccup barks, still trying to pull Toothless away.

The dragon looks back down at Aragwen...and freezes. It's...not Aragwen. With a shocked whimper, he releases Astrid and backs off. Oh no...

Astrid stares at Toothless with wide eyes, looking shaken to the core. She has a few good scratches on her arms and legs from where his claws dug into her but at least he didn't manage to bite like he'd wanted to... Oh gods...he attacked Astrid! He could have killed her! But...but he's SURE it was Aragwen! He SAW her attacking Hiccup!

Speaking of Hiccup... The dragon glances sideways, feeling ashamed of himself. His human is staring at him with an equally surprised expression. But at least he doesn't look mad.

"What...on earth...just happened?" Astrid pants heavily, her voice trembling.

Hiccup slowly shakes his head. There's a disturbed look on his face. "Aragwen just...pushed Toothless." He whispers in horror. "I didn't know she could do that...I thought it was just humans she could control..."

Astrid frowns, gingerly touching one of her arm wounds. "It doesn't seem like anyone is safe..." She mumbles. Astrid isn't aware of it because she's too deep in thought...but at the release of those words, Hiccup's expression turns dark. His hands ball into fists and he closes his eyes.

_She's right... _He realizes. _No one is safe. Not even the dragons... At this rate...Aragwen is going to kill someone. And it's all because she wants me dead... _

_"That's right, Hiccup." _Aragwen hisses in his mind. _"You'd better get your priorities straight because I won't stop until you're dead. So...that leaves the question. What do you value more...? Your friends or your life?"_

* * *

Just after Hiccup's morbid realization, he hears the sounds of footsteps racing down the hall toward them. Toothless's ears perk but he doesn't move to attack. Whoever is coming isn't an enemy. Somehow, that's little comfort to the distraught teen...

The door at the end of the hall is thrown open and Gobber lumbers through, his eyes wide. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF THOR IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" He shouts, not noticing that Astrid is wounded at first. But when he does, his tone changes quite a bit. "What the...?!" He races over, hobbling on his peg-leg. "Are you kids okay? What happened?"

"Astrid was attacked." Hiccup says, making sure to leave out Toothless's name for now. He'll explain everything later. "Is my dad here?"

Then, as if on que, Stoick appears as well. He instantly finds Hiccup and his expression twists into one of both anger and relief. His tone is firm when he says, "What are you two doing here? I thought I told you to stay at Gothi's."

"You did." Hiccup admits. "But...something happened."

"Does it have something to do with why Astrid hurt?" He asks, walking over to the girl to inspect her arm wounds.

"I'm fine, sir..." She tells him.

"No, we can here because...Aragwen pushed Astrid again. And she pushed Toothless too...just a few minutes ago. I was worried she would try something on you too..."

Stoick frowns at him. _He was worried...about me? _Then he stands up, helping Astrid to her feet as well. "Come on, let's go home before anything else happens. We can discuss this later."

* * *

Aragwen pants heavily, her exhausted body leaning against the wall of her cell. Sweat rolls down her forehead, stinging her eyes. Her whole body aches... _Maybe pushing the dragon was going a little overboard...I should know better than to push so many people in such a short amount of time... _

She tries to stand up and go to her bed so she can sleep but her legs are too tired and won't lift her. So she just remains sitting there in the far corner of her room, her head dangling against her chest.

A sleepy little smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. _I wonder how long it will take...for him to realize what I'm doing...? None of his friends will be safe until I get what I want... _


	5. Desperation

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: Stinking writer's block AGAIN! I WILL eventually start posting regularly twice a day but for now, I'm having issues! Sorry, guys!**_

* * *

After their encounter at the prison, Hiccup, Astrid, Stoick, Gobber and Toothless head back to the chief's house. The five of them are seated in main room, Stoick busying himself with tending the fire that is beginning to crackle to life in the fireplace, his son seated on the floor beside him.

Astrid is sitting on a stool across from Gobber. The blacksmith wraps her arms in several layers of clean, white bandages. Fortunately, her wounds aren't bad enough to need stitches. As long as they don't get infected, she'll be fine.

"Thanks, Gobber." She says once he releases her arm, turning it over to inspect his patch job. Her wounds are tightly bound, a little spot of blood already leaking through...

"It's not a problem, Astrid." He insists. "But make sure you keep them clean. It will get a lot worse if it gets infected."

She nods, assuring him she'll be careful with it. Then, she glances at Hiccup. He is sitting beside Toothless, absently scratching the dragon's chin. He looks distracted. There's a slight frown on his face. "Hey," She calls out to him.

Hiccup snaps back to attention. "Huh?"

"Are you okay, Hiccup?" She wonders. "You seem sort of...down."

The boy offers her a sheepish grin and shrugs. "Of course...! I'm just...kind of tired is all." Such a terrible lie... "Don't worry about me." He says, a bit more sincerity in his words this time. "How's your arm?"

Astrid hesitates, knowing he's just trying to change the subject. "I'm alright. Gobber patched me up."

Hiccup smiles. "Good." He then stands up and Toothless follows his example, eyeing his Rider with big, curious green eyes. He pauses, noticing how everyone is staring at him now. After an awkward moment of silence, he yawns and offers a pathetic grin. "Well! I'm, uh...gonna go to bed now. Goodnight everyone..." He then abruptly spins around and hurries up the stairs, telling Toothless to come with him.

Everyone watches as he and his dragon disappears into his room. Stoick is the first to speak up once they're sure Hiccup can no longer hear them. "What was that all about?" He mumbles in confusion.

"I don't know..." Astrid says, quietly. "He's acting strange."

"Keep in mind," Gobber tells them. "That he's had a rough day. He's probably just eager to get some sleep and get this day over with. I know I am!"

"That must be it..." Stoick agrees as he stands up away from the fire. "And I think he has the right idea. Why don't you two head home and get some well-deserved rest. We can talk more tomorrow."

Gobber bids his friend farewell and exits the house, leaving the door slightly ajar for Astrid. However, she doesn't leave just yet.

"Stoick, sir..." She begins, uncertainly.

"Yes?"

"Um...don't take this the wrong way..." She shifts her weight, nervously. "But...do me a favor and...keep an eye on Hiccup."

Stoick arcs an eyebrow at her.

"I don't doubt that he's just tired...but I'm worried about him. Aragwen is good at messing with people's heads... Just...be careful with him."

Stoick smiles gently at her and places a hand on her shoulder. "You're a good girl, Astrid." He says, surprising her a little. "But don't worry about my son so much. Just make sure she doesn't get to _you _again. I'll take care of Hiccup."

She nods, satisfied. "Thank you, sir."

"Get some rest. It'll be a big day tomorrow figuring out what to do with Aragwen."

Astrid nods again and hurries for the door. "Goodnight." She says as she closes the door behind her.

* * *

It's almost midnight when Aragwen is suddenly woken by the sound of quick footsteps coming down the hall. She stirs, still tired from all the pushing she did earlier, but her eyes flutter open and she squints through the dark. Who's coming here at this hour...?

The steps get closer and closer until she hears the distinctive metal creak of a prosthetic... The witch sits up, intrigued. What is Hiccup doing here? She honestly doesn't have a clue. Reaching out with her mind, she tries to delve into his thoughts to see what he's planning, only to be rejected once her exhaustion kicks in again.

A few seconds later, the golden light of a lantern spills around the corner, followed by the boy himself. Hiccup stares at her, chewing his lip in confliction. Then, seeming to make up his mind, he strides over to the bars of her cell. He's alone. No dragon or girlfriend tagging alone thing time...

Aragwen yawns and tilts her head. She briefly wonders how he snuck out without anyone noticing him but then decides it doesn't matter. He's here but she's unable to push him or even read his mind. _I guess we're just talking this time... _"It's pretty brazen of you to come all the way here by yourself... What if you got caught?"

Hiccup rolls his his eyes at her. "Don't pretend you care."

She pauses. "I guess you're right. I don't." Then, she leans forward and offers a twisted smile. "So, what can I do for you? I assume you didn't come here just to ask how my day has been."

He scowls at her, obviously hating what he's about to say. "You're right about that... I came here to ask you a question."

She smirks. "And what makes you think I'll answer it?"

"Because it benefits you too." He answers, bitingly.

Aragwen raises her eyebrows in intrigue and sits back, ready to listen.

"You said earlier...that all you want is to impress the Dark One...and that you needed my help to do it..." His voice is so soft she has to strain to hear it. But once she does, she's sure she likes where this is going.

"That's correct." She responds, still grinning.

"And _if_ I do help you...will you leave us alone?"

"Of course, Hiccup." She purrs, innocently. "That's all I want."

Hiccup hesitates for a long time before asking his next question. Eventually, Aragwen begins to wonder if he'll ever speak. "Do you swear to leave everyone alone...?"

Her grin widens. "Cross my heart."

The boy closes his eyes for a moment and takes a steadying breath. He can't help but wonder why Aragwen isn't trying to control him now. Maybe she really is telling the truth... Or maybe she's just too tired to control him. Or...maybe both. "What...what do I have to do?" He whispers, the desperation now crystal clear in his voice.

Aragwen slowly shakes her head in awe. She hadn't predicted him coming to her on his own. Maybe pushing his dragon really was worth it. Apparently, he values the lives of his friends and family above his own safety... How _noble_.

She offers a gentle smile and stands up, moving toward the bars so that she's sitting just on the other side, mere inches from him. She reaches through and pats the back of his hand, almost in a motherly fashion... "You're doing the right thing." She breathes. "Now, here's what you have to do..."

* * *

_**A/N: Yes, that really just happened! XD Let the freak-outs begins! LOL!**_


	6. The Chamber

_**Chapter Six**_

Hiccup's heart races much too fast as he jogs through the forest. The sun is slowly beginning to rise and he needs to be back by the time his father wakes up! Or more importantly, he needs to be back before _Toothless _wakes up...and that's assuming he isn't already.

Aragwen's words ring through Hiccup's memory. _"Find my cave in the clearing where we fought..." _

He stumbles into the meadow, his green eyes flashing around the tree line. The clearing is surrounded by steep hills and patches of dense woods. There's a small lake sitting in the center of it... It's presence sends a chill down his spine, remembering how he nearly drowned in it.

_"The cave will be hard to find. Stick to the water's edge and skirt around. Eventually, you'll see it hidden in some cat tails."_

He quickly goes over to the lake, trying to ignore its ominous presence. _This is the right thing to do. _He reminds himself. _I'm saving my friends' lives by doing this!_ He runs around the outside, scanning the water where groups of cat tail plants are growing. Hiccup gets about a third of the way around before noticing something. He isn't sure what caught his eye. Maybe a different coloration of the water or a slight change in the flow... Regardless, he finds the little cave, half-submerged in icy water.

_"Once you've found it, you'll have to climb through some narrow spaces in the rock. It shouldn't be too hard for you, your frame is thinner than mine."_

Once he's got the cave in his sights, he runs around the edge of the lake to where it sits. Then, kicking off his boot and stripping his vest off, he steps into the cold water, shivering as it makes contact with his skin.

The teen wades through the cold lake, bracing himself on the rock. He leans over and peers inside... The cave isn't as dark as he'd imagined it would be. In fact...he's pretty sure he can see a light coming from deep inside. _Where is that coming from? _He wonders. But then, he feels the first rays of sunlight dancing on his cheek and he flinches. _I have to hurry! _

Without another moment's hesitation, he places his hands on the ground below the water and pulls himself into the cave. The entrance is very narrow, indeed. He can barely squeeze through a few spaces, making him curious as to how _Aragwen_ fits. She's at least two feet taller than he is!

Shaking those distracting thoughts away, he half-swims half-crawls over to the ledge near the back of the cavern. Grabbing ahold of it, he just barely manages to claw his way out of the water, gripping the slippery rock as hard as he can.

_"After you've gotten into the cave, follow it straight to the back. My chamber is about a hundred yards in..."_

_ Her chamber... _He shivers at what that might imply. But nonetheless, he follows her orders and trudges along the cramped corridor, his hands trailing over the claustrophobic walls so he doesn't lose track of where he is in the darkness. The absolute _last _thing he needs is to get lost in here...

All the while, thoughts of Astrid and Toothless float through his mind. They were both pushed by Aragwen. Astrid nearly died twice in one day... He'll never let that happen. Never. That's why he's here now. To protect them, no matter the cost!

_"You'll see a cabinet near the back of the room. Open the bottom doors."_

Surely enough, as Hiccup grows closer to the chamber, that odd light he'd seen at the mouth of the cave brightens considerably. He can see easily now and is still several yards from the room. However, as he rounds one last corner and finally steps into the chamber...a horrid shudder runs down his spine.

This is the place, for sure...

The room is dimly lit. The stone floor etched with chalk drawings and spell circles. There are various pedestals lining the back wall, topped with oddities from dusty old books to melting candles. That explains the light, then... Hiccup wonders how they're still lit after all this time. Has someone been...keeping them lit? If so, who?

He paces into the cave, careful not to step on anything or knock anything over. Who knows what will happen if he disturbs any of this stuff?! He watches his feet closely, definitely not wanting to test his luck by stepping into one of the many spell circles that litter the floor.

After a few minutes of cautiously traversing the cave, Hiccup finds what he's looking for. The rickety hutch Aragwen had described to him. It's a dark wood, looking to be very _very _old. There are a pair of glass doors on the front, as well as wooden doors on the bottom.

He kneels down in front of it, sucking in a steadying breath. He suddenly doesn't care if he makes it back before his father wakes up. He just wants to get out of here with his life intact! This place has a seriously ominous feel to it. He wants to leave. Now.

With fumbling hands, he throws open the bottom doors and peers inside. Lining the shelves are vials and bottles of all shapes and sizes, strange liquids of every color of the rainbow brewing inside. There's also a little scroll rolled up in one corner, looking like it was torn from the page of a book. It appears to be sealed with black wax...

Hiccup suddenly coughs at the foul-smelling steam that leaks out from one bottle, spilling out into the rest of the chamber. He holds his breath as he reaches in for one bottle in particular...

_"I need you to bring me the thin vial at the front. The potion inside is white. It will be topped with a cork."_

He grabs said vial and quickly closes the door, coughing again at the terrible smell. He hopes whatever that was that was he breathed in wasn't poison or something... Hiccup hurriedly tucks the potion into his pocket and jumps to his feet. Spinning around, he sees the rest of the cave is now flooded with rosy light. The sun is coming up!

_"That potion will help us in the next step of our little project. Bring it directly to me and, please...be careful with it!"_

Wasting no more time, Hiccup bolts for the exit. His hand never leaves the little bulge in his pocket where the potion is hiding. What would Aragwen do if he broke it...? Probably slaughter him and his entire family... The idea sends goosebumps across his skin.

* * *

It's been almost an hour since Hiccup first left to find Aragwen's cave. The witch is laying in her cell, her eyes closed. Although she isn't sleeping. Gingerly, she reaches out with her mind, feels it creeping over the walls as it searches, like one big, taloned hand. With a slow breath, she pushes her mind further. It expands beyond walls of the prison, steadily searching for the boy... She's just about to give up when-

Aragwen's pink lips tug into a smile. There he is... Only about a two hundred yards away from the jail. And, by the look of him, he's succeeded in finding the potion... _I wonder if my power has returned yet? _

With that thought, she locates Hiccup once again and pushes into his thoughts. Her mind slips into his with ease and she grins. She seems to be back at full power. Which is good. She'll need to be once he gets here. With a little chuckle, she shakes her head and sits up to prepare for his visit.

_Poor Hiccup...so naive. He really thought I'd keep my promise and leave him alone... _Her smile turns wicked when she thinks, _Stoick really should have killed me when he had the chance..._

* * *

_**A/N: So, what do you guys think so far...? Is the pacing okay? (I get that wrong sometimes). Let me know what you think and, as always, thanks for reading! **_


	7. Let Yourself Go

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**A/N: Yay! Motifs are fun! XD**_

* * *

Pink, early morning sunlight dabs the clouds above village. Hiccup grimaces at the feeling of its warmth on his cheek. Soon, people will start waking up. His father will rise and notice his son is gone... He and Toothless will track him down and... Hiccup bites his lip and runs faster, sprinting through the center of town just as a few lanterns are being lit within the Great Hall.

_Oh great! _He fumes. _I'm later than I thought! _ But the prison is right in front of him. It will only take a few more minutes to reach it... Maybe his dad will sleep in today? Sending a quick prayer to every god he can think of it, Hiccup grabs the prison door and expertly slips inside, his other hand still hovering protectively above the bottle in his pocket.

* * *

Aragwen watches with mild interest as Hiccup appears in front of her cell. He's breathing heavily as if he ran the entire way here, which he probably did. The boy settles down on the other side of the bars and takes no time to catch his breath before producing the vial. A smoky, white liquid sloshing around inside of it.

"There." He grumbles as he slides it into the room. "I kept my end of the deal. Now leave Astrid and the others alone!"

Aragwen smirks at him, almost coyly. "Oh sure, I have no interest in your friends now..." She gently picks up the bottle, turning it over as if to inspect the potion within. "After all...what use are they now? I have what I came for..."

Hiccup pauses, getting a slightly bad feeling at the tone in her voice. "What do you mean...?" He growls, suspiciously.

Aragwen uses her long thumb nail to pop the cork out of the bottle, watching as a misty substances wells up and spills over the lip of the vial. "Oh come now, Hiccup." She tuts. "You didn't think I was going to let you off the hook _that_ easily, did you? I mean, you _did_ force Hinrik to betray me."

Hiccup snarls and jumps to his feet. "I didn't _force_ anyone to do anything! Hinrik betrayed you because you're a horrible-" He gasps, his lips sealing shut on their own. Terror spikes through him when he realizes what this means... Aragwen is back to her full power. He's being pushed! He stares in horror at the potion in her hand. Not for the first time, he wonders what she's going to do with it...

Aragwen shakes her head in disappointment and glares at him. "It will be such a relief to finally be rid of you. You're such an annoyance."

Well, it seems she's done playing the innocent act...

The witch lifts a slim finger, curling it toward herself as if beckoning Hiccup forward. His body obeys without his consent and he's sent stumbling into the bars of her cage. He grunts and sinks to the floor, his eyes level with hers. He's shaking now and he feels cold. Side effects of being pushed, he supposes. His mind feels...cloudy and he can't think straight. It's just like before...

"Now," She purrs, holding out the vial which his hand automatically moves to receive. "Drink up. We have a lot of work to do before we can appease the Dark One."

Hiccup whimpers, unable to control himself as his fingers wrap around the bottle and slowly tip it toward his lips. Squeezing his eyes shut, he wishes he'd been a little later. He wishes his father _had _found him before he managed to get here. This is all a big mistake...!

Aragwen notices the look on his face and smiles. "Don't feel bad." She whispers. "It's not your fault you were tricked. Even if you hadn't agreed to help me, I would have killed you one way or another, anyway. At least this way, none of your friends have to die _and _I'll get to impress the Dark One..."

As soon as she's done speaking, Hiccup tips the vial up. He grimaces at the bitter flavor of the potion as it spills down his throat. A ghastly tremor runs through his entire body as he swallows, the bottle instantly falling from his numb hands and shattering on the floor.

His head spins, his heart slows down, he feels cold.

"Just relax..." Aragwen breathes.

His limbs feel dead, his eyes flutter shut...

_ "Let yourself go..."_

Hiccup groans as the world turns black in front of him. He collapses to the floor with a heavy thud.

* * *

Aragwen giggles, joyously while she watches her potion kick in. As soon as Hiccup swallows it, his skin loses all color. He goes so pale she can almost see his veins through his skin. His body trembles from being pushed but the tremors increase and the potion vial falls out of his hand as his limbs go numb. She watches his pupils dilate and then his eyelids slowly fall shut...and he blacks out. The boy's unconscious body slumping onto the floor in a matter of seconds.

She nods, satisfied that he's ready for the next step. She reaches through the bars, holding out her hand above his prone form. She closes her eyes and begins to mumble strange, foreign words under her breath.

Once her incantation is complete, she looks down at Hiccup and nearly jumps for joy at the sight of him.

Hiccup's entire body is glowing a pale white, the same color as the potion. The light that seems to emanate from nowhere dances around him as if it were alive, curling and twisting into the air.

One, adventurous tendril of Hiccup's visible soul reaches a bit too far upward and Aragwen takes advantage of its closeness. She hisses one, last word under her breath and brushes her fingers over the ghostly veil.

As soon as the witch touches it, an evil, black smoke begins to spread within the pure white like an obsidian forest fire. Hiccup spasms, an agonized yelp escaping his throat. The darkness creeps further and further into the light, choking out the glow. Hiccup would have continued to scream in pure agony if Aragwen hadn't forced him to close his mouth.

She watches with a morbid fascination as her corruption reaches Hiccup's heart. His body spasms once more, his back arching off the ground, a silent scream ripping out of his sealed mouth.

Then, as quickly as it began, it ends. Hiccup goes limp and falls back to the floor, his head lulling to the side. The glow of his invaded soul vanishes, leaving him looking pale and deathly.

Aragwen sits back in her cell, observing her handiwork with a proud smile. "Now you'll do as I say." She purrs. "Medium or no medium. You're mine, Hiccup."

Hiccup only lays there, motionless. His eyes shut, his breaths shallow and ragged.

"Get up." She tells him, firmly.

His eyes suddenly snap open and he sits up, getting to his feet.

Aragwen nods. "Come here."

And he does.

Aragwen opens his vest, carefully slipping something inside it. "Keep that with you." She whispers. "It will come in handy."

He nods, his expression blank as he stares off into the distance.

"Meet me here again tonight. But, for now, go home. Forget you were ever here." She commands.

And, a moment later, Hiccup strolls out of the prison, still caught in his trance. He makes his way home without anyone seeing him and silently climbs the stairs, laying down in his bed before either his dragon or his father wake up...

* * *

_**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! XD What do you guys think?! Don't forget to review!**_


	8. Time is Running Out

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: The newest episode of DoB (Free Scauldy) was really good, I think! Lots of good humor that actually got me laughing. XD (Particularly Hiccup demonstrating how to bond with a dragon and Fishlegs...being 'nervous'. Also, "And my leg didn't FALL OFF!". Classic! XD) And Ruffnut cutting her hair?! I didn't see that coming! (Reminded me a bit of Sakura from Naruto...just saying.) **_

_**Anyway...back on track! Here's chapter eight!**_

_In response to:_

_Matt_**_: Alrighty then. I think that's a cute idea but I wouldn't write it. It doesn't fall into my category of what I'd be interested in reading so I wouldn't be able to write it well. However, if someone else wants to adopt that idea and use Hinrik in their fanfiction, they can ask me about it and I'll let them know._**

_Snoopykid_**_: The potion was used to knock Hiccup out and loosen his body's grip on his soul. (Which is why he was glowing). Aragwen then took advantage of that and spread her own, dark soul into his. Meaning he is now totally under her control..._**

* * *

_BAM!_

Hiccup moans softly, turning onto his side and pulling the covers over his head. He's too tired to fly right now! It's like he was awake all night...

_BAM! _

Dust trickles down from the rafters as Toothless jumps on the roof again, shaking nearly the entire house. He roars and hops again, trying to get his friend's attention.

_BAM!_

With a weary sigh, Hiccup throws his blanket off and sits up. There's no way Toothless is going to let him sleep. The tired boy swings his legs around, sitting them on the floor. Fumbling with a clumsy hand, he reaches for his helmet. It's at this point of the morning when he usually gets excited to go flying. He's normally waking up and coming back to reality now... But today, Hiccup's eyelids droop shut again and he wobbles as he gets to his feet. He's exhausted.

That's when Toothless pokes his head in the window and coos at his Rider, hurrying him along like an excited child. However...his pep quickly fades away when he sees the paleness of Hiccup's skin, as well as the dark shadows beneath his eyes. The dragon drones and slips into the room, tilting his head in concern. Is something wrong with him...?

Hiccup doesn't even notice him at first. He braces himself against the wall and only stares at the floor, his mind feeling sluggish and cloudy. He's having a hard time thinking straight. And on top of all that, he feels sick to his stomach and there's a nasty flavor in his mouth. _Am I getting sick...? _He wonders, absently.

Seeing that his friend isn't feeling well, Toothless coos and nudges his waist, unintentionally almost knocking him off his unbalanced feet.

Hiccup offers him a sleepy smile and places his helmet on his head. "Don't worry, bud." He says, scratching the Night Fury's ear. "I'm just tired. We can go flying."

Hearing that, Toothless perks right back up and graces his Rider with a sloppy lick to the face. Hiccup squeaks, half in disgust and half in shock, before wiping the drool away. "Thanks for that, Toothless..." He grumbles, sarcastically.

The dragon bounds back out the window and scrambles onto the roof, flapping his wings like an eager baby bird, waiting for his mother to help him lift off. Hiccup tiredly chuckles and heads for the stairs, being very careful not trip in his dazed, cloudy state. He makes it down into the main room and almost to the door before noticing his father's cape and helmet are gone.

Hiccup frowns. _He must have left already...probably busy trying to figure out what happened to Fishlegs...and what to do with Aragwen... _At the thought of her, a strange sensation blossoms in his head. Like cotton balls suddenly flooding his skull. His ears begin to ring a little and he has to brace himself against the wall again so he won't collapse from the heaviness of his own limbs... _Oh man...what is up with me today? _

* * *

_He's running, his heart is pounding, he has to be back by sun rise!_

* * *

Hiccup gasps, doubling over as a flash of light strikes behind his eyes, blinding him for a moment. What...was THAT?! It felt like a memory but it all went so fast, like a flash of lightning in his head. Was it even real? It seems...familiar. He reaches up and touches his pounding temples. Only then does he realize his hands are shaking.

_Something...is very wrong. _He decides, fear rising through him. _I don't know what...but I just have a feeling...I need to find my dad._

* * *

Toothless stares as his Rider stumbles out of the house, looking even paler than minutes ago. Hiccup calls him over and uneasily leans on the side of the house, waiting for his dragon to reach him. The Night Fury sniffs his human's head, curious as to what is wrong with him. But Hiccup only mumbles something about having to find his father and then hops into the saddle, urging Toothless to hurry.

And so Toothless takes off running in the direction of the Great Hall, where he saw his little friend's father walking this morning. Hopefully, he'll still be there when they arrive...

* * *

"Hiccup?" Gobber stares, wide-eyed, at his young apprentice. "What happened to you, boy? You look like the living dead!"

Hiccup clumsily slides out of the saddle, nearly falling as soon as his feet hit the ground. It had been a rough ride over here, what with Toothless sprinting the whole way. Thankfully, Gobber catches him by the shoulder before he can trip. "I just...don't feel well." He admits, quietly. "Is my father around?"

Gobber frowns with worry for his friend's son. "Not here, not anymore." He says, apologetically. "He went to Gothi's to check on Fishlegs. Apparently, he's pretty sure it _was_ Aragwen who pushed him into crashing his dragon..."

Hiccup nods, grimacing at the thought of having to ride on Toothless the whole way to Gothi's. He's pretty sure that another bumpy ride like the last one will make him throw up... "Okay, thanks." He mumbles, reluctantly turning back to his dragon. They'll just have to take it slow, otherwise... He swallows the nausea that rises in his throat and swings his leg over Toothless's back.

"Are you sure you're alright, Hiccup?" Gobber asks him. "Maybe you should stay here a while..."

"No." Hiccup forces a reassuring smile. "No, I'm okay. I just really need to talk to my father about something. I'll go home after that, promise."

Gobber folds his arms. "Well...okay then. Just don't push it. The last thing we need is another accident."

"I'll be careful and besides," He continues. "I have Toothless." With that, he leans down and taps his dragon's side. "Let's go, bud." And the two take off at a decent speed, although it _is_ a little fast for Hiccup's liking...

* * *

About five minutes after leaving the Great Hall, Hiccup is forced to slow down. His weak stomach just can't take it anymore. He groans for Toothless to stop and, when he does, the boy moans and doubles over in the saddle, leaning his hot face in his hands.

_Do I have a fever...? _He wonders, dully. His whole body aches and he feels so cold, like his skin is made of ice. With trembling hands, he unhooks himself from Toothless and climbs off. They're only a few more minutes away from Gothi's hut...maybe he should just send Toothless ahead and have him bring Stoick here...

Toothless whimpers, sadly and his ears fold back. He nuzzles his head against his Rider's, hoping to cheer him up. And it seems to help just a bit. Toothless's perpetual warmth feels incredible to the chilled boy...but he can only do so much. Eventually, Hiccup will have to get up again and finish riding to Gothi's. But just the mere _thought_ of moving his aching limbs is enough to make him nauseous.

_"Get up."_

Suddenly, Hiccup's limbs go stiff. His breath catches in his throat. The voice had sounded so real. Where did it come from...?

_"Get up!" _

Without warning, Hiccup finds himself struggling to his feet. His legs shake with the effort and his vision goes dark around the edges. _I...can't move...! _He realizes with a spike of terror. More precisely, he _can_ move...but he can't control what his body is doing. The voice rings in his head, sounding ghostly and frightening. It doesn't take much brain power for him to recognize that it's Aragwen...

And once again, the moment he thinks of her, his mind goes all cloudy and his hearing turns muffled. A terrible sensation floods his fingers, like pins and needles. There's a white-hot pain in his chest, like his heart is being crushed... How is she this powerful...?

The word comes to his mind before he even realizes he's thinking it. _The potion. _But what potion...? He can't remember... Was it...last night...? Yes...he thinks so...trying to remember makes his head ache. _I drank a potion...it made me black out. _He recalls, suddenly. But what does that mean? Is Aragwen's hold on him slipping? Is that why he can remember...?

Or maybe...

It means she doesn't _need _to be careful and cover her tracks anymore...

It means his time is running out.


	9. The Meadow

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**A/N: Yeah...this is gonna be a long-ish fanfic. We're only about a sixth of the way through... Just a heads up. But seriously, I don't know what my issue is. I have had writer's block for the past few days and am really struggling to get these chapters done on time. GAH! So annoying! Well, anyway...here you go. XD Sorry if it sounds awkward or anything. Chapter 9!**_

_** In response to...**_

_Snoopykid: __**It's not that Toothless doesn't sense her presence (he does), it's just that she's already so close (being in the prison) that he can't tell the difference. **_

_Ninuhuju: __**The potion will eventually wear off on its own...the real question is: what is Aragwen planning on doing before it does...? *Evil grin***_

* * *

Toothless stares at Hiccup as the teen struggles to his feet. Hiccup's facial expression is tense, fear shining in his eyes. The boy's skin is deathly pale, his hands shaking violently. What on earth is wrong with him? Is he being...pushed? The dragon whimpers, drawing a little closer as if to nudge his friend's waist.

"Toothless..." Hiccup whispers, suddenly. His voice is trembling just as bad as his hands. He's clearly trying to fight whatever has taken over him but isn't doing a very good job of it. "G-go find my dad..." He stammers, his eyes squeezing shut in pain. "Please..."

But the Night Fury only stands there, frozen with terror. He doesn't want to leave Hiccup behind! What if something happens to him while he's gone?! What if he needs him?! What if-

"Toothless, GO!" He shouts.

Toothless cringes at the volume of his gentle Rider's voice and begins to back away, his ears folded back and his wings pressed against his body, looking very small and scared. He _really _doesn't want to leave Hiccup...but by the looks of things...maybe getting someone else's help would be a good idea. And so Toothless offers one last coo to his stricken friend and bolts off in the direction of Gothi's hut...

* * *

Aragwen yawns tiredly and stretches her arms above her head. She is laying on her stiff bed, waiting for the guard to make his hourly rounds. She stares at the ceiling, unable to contain her enthusiasm about finally leaving this place. It's been over a month by now...she can't believe she's wasted this much time twiddling her thumbs in this rank jail cell!

Of course...now that Hiccup belongs to her...maybe's it was worth it. She smirks a bit, feeling the echo of her own soul some half a mile away, lingering within the boy's body, waiting for her to give a command. It's an empowering feeling. By this time tomorrow, Hiccup will be dead and the Dark One will be _so_ pleased with her!

She can't control the ecstatic smile that bursts over her lips as she sits up, eagerly listening for the sound of footsteps. When is that accursed guard going to get here?!

Then, as if on que, she sees the faint glow of a lamp on the other end of the long hall. The prison guard is coming! Finally! She stands up and boldly goes to the bars, wrapping her slim fingers around them.

With a single thrust of her mind, she shoves the forceful idea into the man's head and watches with mind interest as he reaches down and grabs the loop of keys on his waistband... She can hear them jingling as he approaches her cage...

* * *

The cell door slams closed, the metal rattling loudly as Aragwen clicks the lock back into place. She gazes down at the unconscious guard on the other side of the bars and then to his cloak and mask, which she'd taken off of him before locking him away.

The witch scoops these items into her arms and slinks off to find a safe spot to disguise herself. Then, it's off to the clearing. If all goes well, Hiccup will be there by the time she arrives.

* * *

Hiccup's legs move on their own, mechanically dragging him further and further into the part of the woods he isn't very familiar with. His head spins the entire time, not helping his sense of disorientation in the least bit... At one point, he even closes his eyes to see if that might help slow him down a little, but to no avail. His body simply won't do what he tells it. And to top that all off, he's now drained and exhausted from fighting Aragwen's control for so long. He wouldn't be able to stand at all if it were up to him. He feels so close to simply collapsing under the leaden weight of his tired limbs.

But still, he continues on. Trudging through overgrown weeds and muddy slicks, ducking under fallen trees and hopping over massive boulders... Every step he takes he's sure he's going to fall. But he never does. Aragwen makes sure of that...

_Where is she leading me...? _He wonders, numbly. He's too tired to really care but the curiosity is still poking at him. What's her plan? Why go through all this when it's so clear she could _easily_ kill him and be done with it?! Why waste her time and risk getting caught? It just doesn't make any sense...

Hiccup stumbles over another hill, knotted with twisting weeds and loose footing. He grimaces when he realizes where he is... He recognizes it now, although he's still too tired to be afraid.

The clearing.

The same spot where Aragwen nearly killed him last month. The same spot where he took the potion from her cave that caused all of this. Why, oh _why_, had he ever trusted her to keep her word?! Well...maybe he never did trust her. He had just been so desperate to protect his friends..._anything _sounded promising to him... Even the faulty word of a homicidal witch.

And so, Hiccup's foot lifts off the ground, preparing to take its first step into Aragwen's meadow...

_"Hiccup..."_

He freezes. His _body _freezes. Hiccup's heart jumps when he realizes...he can move his fingers a little!

_"Hiccup...!"_

That voice...it's so...familiar. Wait a second... Before he even knows what he's doing, Hiccup lowers his foot and turns a quick circle, staring up at the empty air around him. A shocked half-smile on his face. No way...it can't be! "Hinrik?!"

* * *

Hinrik only watches his friend at first, staring in regretful horror as Hiccup is practically dragged through the forest. The poor kid... He looks half dead already. Skin as pale as a corpse, body trembling. How could he have let this happen? He'd been so sure that, without a Tether, his accursed mother wouldn't be able to hurt him anymore...

But he'd been wrong. He'd been _so terribly wrong_!

And now, it seems, Hiccup is paying the price for Hinrik's mistake. Even from where he's hovering, several feet from the other boy's slow-moving form, he can see Aragwen's corruption has invaded Hiccup's soul. The black smokey substance creeps through the teen's vital systems, poisoning him and choking out the glow of his own free will.

At this rate, Hiccup's body will give out... Already, he's showing signs of declining. If Hinrik doesn't do something soon, Hiccup _will_ die.

* * *

_**A/N: Oh god, here come the cliffhangers again... *sigh* XD**_


	10. Poison

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**In response to...**_

_Yondaime Namikaze: __**She had to stay in Berk long enough to get Hiccup to trust her. And before you ask why she just didn't force him into doing whatever she says, it's because she was lacking a medium before, which means pushing is very very hard and tiring. (Although she could have done that if she wanted to.) It just makes it easier for her to stay safely locked away and let Hiccup do all the heavy lifting (or so to speak). Plus, she's GOTTA get some kind of morbid enjoyment about screwing with the kid's head. XD Anyway, all of that will make more sense in the coming chapters. I'll have a better explanation then.**_

* * *

Fishlegs is sitting up in his bed, eyes half-lidden and looking quite tired. The heavy-set blonde rubs his sore head and listens as Stoick tries to explain what happened. "So...you're saying I crashed because Aragwen pushed me?" He repeats with a long yawn.

Stoick groans in irritation. "No, I'm asking you if that's what happened!" He tells him. "What caused you to crash? Do you remember?"

"Um..." Fishlegs hesitates, his mind still rather cloudy. "I guess it _could_ have been Aragwen... But all I remember is being really cold. Then, I crashed."

"Cold?" Stoick mutters. "Yes, the other kids were cold too when they were pushed."

"Sir, not to be disrespectful...but...why does this matter?"

Stoick stares at the boy and sighs. "You've been out of it for a couple of days so you don't know but...Aragwen has been acting up again. She nearly killed both Astrid and Hiccup in the same day... All I'm trying to do is make sure of who she's targeting. That way, I can keep an eye on everyone who might be in danger."

Fishlegs stares at him in fear. "She tried to kill Astrid and Hiccup!? Are they both okay?!"

Stoick nods. "Astrid has a few cuts and bruises and Hiccup's arm needed stitching but they're both fine, regardless."

But there is something in Fishlegs's face that says he's still worried about something. "Stoick, sir...um...not that I doubt that they _are_ as fine as you say but..." He swallows, a dark expression on his face. "Where are they?"

"Huh?" Stoick frowns and sits back. "Why do you ask that?"

"It's just..." He hesitates. "I don't know...nevermind, I guess..."

Stoick is about to pry a bit further about why the teen had asked him where the other kids are, when there's a gentle knock on the door of Gothi's hut. Said medicine woman stands up from where she'd been sitting and opens the door, revealing Astrid, herself.

"Ah, Astrid." Stoick offers a polite smile and stands up. "Good to see you back on your feet."

She nods and switches her gaze to Fishlegs. She gasps when she notices he's conscious again. "Fishlegs!" She cries, happily. "You're awake!"

The blonde viking grins, sheepishly. "Yeah...sorry about worrying everyone..."

"Don't you dare apologize!" She scolds. "I'm just glad to see you're okay."

"Astrid," Stoick suddenly interrupts. For some reason, he can't help but still wonder about what Fishlegs had said... "Have you seen Hiccup this morning?"

"Um, no." She says. "Why? Haven't you?"

"No...I got up early and checked on him in his room but I haven't seen him around the village since..."

She frowns. "Well...he's probably out flying with Toothless. He usually is at this time of day, right?"

Stoick looks down, knowing she's probably right... But still, _something _is haunting him when he thinks of his son. He remembers early that morning when he'd gone into Hiccup's room to check on him, just like he does every morning... Is it just him...or had he seemed paler than normal?

"Sir?" Astrid mumbles, not liking the tense expression on his face. "Is something the matter...? Did something happen to Hiccup?"

He parts his lips to respond, but before he can-

_SLAM!_

Everyone jumps nearly out of their skin at the sudden ruckus. It sounded like something hitting the side of the building. Gothi gets up to check but Stoick stops her.

"Let me-"

_SLAM!_

Fishlegs 'eeps' in fear and scoots closer to the wall, pulling his blanket up to his eyes. Astrid's hand hovers over the knife in her belt loop. However, everyone stops what they're doing when they hear the familiar cry of a Night Fury...

"Toothless...?" Stoick breathes as he rushes to the door. Throwing it open, he reveals the anxious-looking dragon just as he slams his body weight against the wall for a third time. He'd been trying to get their attention...

Toothless roars at them, a tight look on his reptilian face. He bounces and whimpers and continually looks over his shoulder... The saddle is empty.

Stoick's gut twists into knots. "Toothless," He begins, his voice wavering a bit. "Where's Hiccup?"

* * *

"Hinrik?!" Hiccup gasps, turning in a full circle as if expecting to see the other boy. In this moment, he's all but forgotten that he now has use of his limbs again. He's too shocked to feel his friend's presence lingering so close. "That's you, isn't it?"

_"Yes... It's me, Hiccup.." _The voice echos into the meadow, as if he were standing right beside him. A shiver runs down Hiccup's spine at the closeness of the ghost, despite it being the same one who saved his life.

Hiccup smiles in confusion. "What...what are you doing here? I thought..."

_"Hiccup, I'm so...SO sorry..." _Whispers the invisible boy. _"If I had known my mother would still be able to do this...I never would have let her live."_

Hiccup's smile fades, remembering his predicament now that the sentimental bliss has gone away. "You couldn't have known!" He points out, still gazing around the empty air, trying to pinpoint the other soul. "Besides, it was my idea not to kill her... If this is anyone's fault, it's mine."

Hinrik is quiet for a moment and Hiccup fears that maybe he's left. But then, the dead boy's voice fills his head again, sounding bitterly sad and conflicted. _"There you go again, always taking the blame and being too kind for your own good..." _He sighs and a cold breeze whispers across Hiccup's cheek. _"You really have no idea what she's got in store for you, do you...?"_

Hiccup bites his lip and shifts his weight, not liking the sound of that. "W-what do you mean...? She's...going to kill me, right? That's what she wants..."

_"No. As much as I hate to say it, I know my mother very well... She's got more in that twisted head of hers than just killing you." _With an echoing, hysterically upset laugh, he adds, _"That wouldn't be enough for her."_

"O-oh...?" Hiccup folds his arms, unsure of what to do with himself... He feels like running away or hiding or...something. Not standing here, inches from the meadow where Aragwen had dragged him. "So...what do you think she's going to do...?"

_"I can't be sure." _Hinrik admits, quietly. _"But I do know that her biggest goal has always been the Dark One... She'll try to make another connection with him, for sure."_

Hiccup recoils in surprise. "The Dark One? But we destroyed her Tether with him! Can she...make another?"

_"It's possible. But, honestly, I don't think that's what she's doing..."_

"Then what-"

_"Tell me something, Hiccup..." _Hinrik says, bitingly. _"What, exactly, has my mother been up to this past month?"_

"Um...sitting in a prison cell. We arrested her..."

_"Prison? And she's stayed there? She never tried to break out?"_

"No...I guess that's why we assumed she didn't have anymore power...she never pushed anyone until recently." He mumbles, thoughtfully.

_"That's strange... Why wouldn't she-" _Hinrik suddenly stops talking, mid-sentence.

"Hinrik?" Hiccup calls out. "Are you still there?" A long, silent moment passes and Hiccup doesn't hear a thing. He's about to yell out for him again, when he feels the familiar presence close by once again. Hinrik is still here, thank Thor.

_"Oh gods..." _Hinrik breathes, sounding terrified.

"What?!" Hiccup urges. "What's wrong?!"

_"Why did I never think of this before...? Oh, I'm so stupid...! It was so obvious...!"_

"Hinrik!" Hiccup pries, desperately. "What didn't you think of? What's happening?"

_"Oh, Hiccup...I'm so...so sorry... I had no idea she would... I didn't she could..."_

"Come _on_, Hinrik! You're not making sense! Tell me!"

_"Hiccup...you need to run. You need to get as far away from here as possible. Go, now."_

"But-"

_**"GO!" **_There's a flash of light and suddenly, Hiccup is shoved forward by an invisible pair of hands. He stumbles a bit, catching himself before he falls. _"Go back home, Hiccup! Find you dad! And, whatever you do, do NOT leave that village! Under no circumstances are you to step anywhere inside this forest!"_

"Hinrik!" Hiccup pants as he struggles to right himself. "What are you talking about?! You need to let me in on what you know!"

_"You don't need to know." _Hinrik tells him, coldly. _"It would be better if you didn't-"_

"Your mother had me drink something." He interrupts. "Some kind of potion. She did _something_ to me and now I can't control my body half the time!"

Hinrik is silent for a long time, his shock echoing through the woods as if it were tangible. Clearly, he hadn't known that.

"I don't know what she did...but I do know that once she figures out I'm not under her control anymore, she'll take hold again. I won't be able to stop myself from leaving. There's _nothing_ I can do to fight her anymore. It nearly killed me last time and all I did was tell Toothless to find my dad! Hinrik..." His voice lowers into a desperate whisper. "You _need_ to tell me what's happening. Please."

There's another moment of eerie quiet and then he hears the other boy sigh. _"I...I didn't know it gone that far... Hiccup...are you really sure you want to know...?"_

Suddenly, he isn't so sure he does. But on the other hand, he'd might as well be prepared. "Y-yes..." He stammers.

_"That potion you drank...had several effects. One, to make you black out... Two, loosen your body's grip on your soul so she could take ahold of it...which is why she can control you now. And...the third effect..." _He pauses, still seeming absolutely horrified about this. _"Is something I'm very familiar with, having jumped so many bodies... It...in it's most basic form...is a kind of...poison."_

"Poison...?" Hiccup repeats, a chill running down his spine.

_"We used it the first few times...before we knew about talismans... It basically...frees up a hosts body so that another soul can take over without any problems..."_

"Frees up a body...?"

_"That poison isn't lethal...she plans to weaken you and..."_

"A-and WHAT?!" Hiccup presses, his body trembling in fear.

_"And use YOU as the Dark One's new Tether... A Tether that can't be destroyed or broken... A living, breathing Tether for the Dark One to inhabit... THAT is what she plans to do..."_


	11. Free

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**A/N: Some...unintentional FishlegsxAstrid pairing in this one... I DIDN'T MEAN TO, I SWEAR! It just sort of *happened*. I mean, it's not really romantic...it's just...well...you'll see I guess.**_

_**In response to...**_

_RazzlePazzleDooDot: __** To answer your questions (in order): You'll just have to wait and see what happens if/when he takes over. The Dark One would possess him, meaning it would be the same as when Hinrik took over (his personality with Hiccup trapped inside.) You'll see how one makes a Tether in the coming chapters. And ACTUALLY...you'll get to meet the Dark One in-person and yes, he/she does have a character role... *evil grin*. When Aragwen had the black bone as a Tether, the Dark One was able to 'manifest' in the real world through it. With a human body as a vessel...well..you'll just have to see. XD**_

_Wanli8970: __**Yes and yes. :)**_

* * *

Hiccup stares into the empty air, his eyes slightly wide. But in all, he looks more frozen than anything. As if the terror has chilled him to the core. Becoming a vessel for the Dark One...? _That's _what Aragwen wants him for? Suddenly, dying doesn't sound so bad in comparison.

Hiccup has had his fair share of experience with being possessed and it isn't fun. And that was when it was _Hinrik _who had taken his body... Not some corrupt, evil spirit. Just the thought of being locked away in his own body, screaming at the top of his lungs but no one able to hear him, not being able to control what he says or does... It makes him feel sick.

"Wh-what can we do...?" Hiccup whispers. "There's got to be something we can do to stop this..."

At first, Hinrik says nothing. Then, when he speaks again, he says, _"I don't know how much I'll be able to do...but there is something I want to try."_

"What can I do? Just say the word!"

_"Go home, Hiccup." _Hinrik orders. _"That's the safest place for you right now. Find you dad and your dragon and stay there! Even if you have to tie yourself down! DO NOT leave your village!"_

"Uh, Right." Hiccup gingerly lifts up one of his feet, almost afraid that Aragwen may be taking hold again. But, obviously, she hasn't noticed her control has slipped... He's free for the moment. In that instant, he feels the other boy's presence beginning to fade. "Hinrik, wait a second!" He calls out.

_"What is it?" _

Hiccup hesitates. "Be careful."

There's a bitterness in his laugh when he says, _"Worry about yourself right now. There's nothing more my mother can do to hurt me. I'm already dead." _With that, Hinrik vanishes into thin air as if he never existed...

* * *

It takes nearly a half an hour for Hiccup to find the tree line once again. This isn't the section of woods he's familiar with so it takes a lot of back tracking and getting turned around for him to finally find his way out. But once he does, he finds little relief. His whole body hurts. How long as it been since he drank that potion...? Six hours? Ten hours? He's lost track... Not that it matters anyway. He has no idea how long it will take for the poison to kick in.

That is, assuming it already hasn't. He feels terrible but that might just be exhaustion from tramping through the woods all day. But now, like a beacon of hope, he can see the many plumes of smoke that drift out of the chimneys in his home village. He's _so_ close. Can't give up yet...

One foot at a time, he trudges out of the overgrowth and into the more tamed fields of grass that lay between him and home. The air is surprisingly warm now, especially for it being winter... There is no frost on the ground, no heavy clouds hanging low in the sky. Just a clear blue and radiant sun beaming down on him.

If he didn't feel so sick, he might actually enjoy this.

Hiccup stumbles a little further, his heart thundering away in his chest as if struggling to keep the oxygen flowing through him. And, indeed, he is feeling awfully breathless. There are little silver stars in the corners of his vision, his ears ring just a little and his stomach is twisted into painful, nauseating knots.

He wishes he could just lay down for a while, close his eyes just for a minute... At that thought, a delicate breeze brushes his cheek. Its warmth lulls his eyes closed and he stops walking. Hiccup stands there, his eyes shut, body wobbling back and forth.

He's so tired...and cold...

He just...wants...to sleep...

_"It's okay..." _A gentle voice tells him. _"You can rest now. You're safe."_

_ No... _He fights, weakly. _I'm supposed to...go home...Hinrik said..._

_ "He was wrong, Hiccup." _The voice whispers softly, slowly. _"He was only worried when he said all that. You're perfectly safe here."_

_ No... _He pushes again, trying to pry open his eyes. _I have to...find my dad...and Toothless...Hinrik said..._

_ "Shhh..."_

And he stops arguing. His lips suddenly feel to heavy to move, too tired... Maybe...maybe this voice is right. Maybe he really is safe here...

_"It's okay," _The voice purrs. _"Just relax...go to sleep."_

And so he does, lulled by the hypnotic promises of this mysterious voice. His knees go weak...and he slumps toward the ground. However, before his consciousness is totally evaporated, he hears a different voice.

A man's voice.

"HICCUP!"

* * *

"HICCUP!" Stoick shouts as soon as he sees his son, standing there on the edge of the forest. The teen's eyes are closed, his frail-looking body wavering on unsteady feet. He looks like he's ready to collapse any second now. What on earth happened to him?!

Toothless screeches and darts forward, sprinting the whole way to his young Rider's side. As soon as the dragon reaches him, Hiccup's knees give and he crumples, falling over Toothless's back until he's dangling in the saddle.

Stoick reaches them in two seconds flat. He knees down beside his son's Night Fury and tilts the boy's head up, inspecting his pale, red-cheeked face. With a grim expression on his face, Stoick slips his arms under Hiccup's legs and shoulders, cradling him against his chest.

"Come on, Toothless. Let's get him home."

* * *

Astrid's brow is knotted in concentration as she nudges open the door to Fishleg's room with her hip. There's a heavy wooden tray in her hands, weighed down with a steaming mug of warm yak milk and some fresh rolls which his mother cooked just this morning. She offers a smile to the sleepy-looking viking and sets the tray onto his lap. "There you are, Fishlegs. Can I get you anything else before I go?"

He grins, apologetically and shakes his head. "No, I'm good! Thanks for everything, Astrid. I take back all those times when I said you're mean."

She smirks, tightly and shrugs it off. "Nevermind that. I'm just glad you're still kicking. The Academy wouldn't be the same without you and Meatlug."

He blushes a little. "R-really? You think so?"

"Of course!" She plants her hands on her hips. "Losing any one of us would be terrible! Well...other than Snotlout, I guess."

Fishlegs chuckles and reaches down to pet Meatlug, who is sleeping peacefully at the side of his bed. "Well, thanks again for everything, Astrid. I really appreciate all your help."

She nods and half turns toward the door. "It's not a problem. Just focus on getting back on your feet so Hiccup and I won't be outnumbered by Snotlout and the twins for much longer..." She expects him to laugh and remark on how he'll do his best...but he doesn't. When Astrid looks back at him, she notices a...dark look on his face. "Fishlegs?" She asks. "Is something wrong?"

He hesitates before meeting her gaze. "I...remembered what I was thinking right before I crashed." He admits, suddenly.

Her eyes narrow. What relevance does that have? "Oh?"

"Y-yeah...when you mentioned Hiccup, I suddenly just...remembered."

Now _that_ catches her attention. "Hiccup?"

He nods. "Right before I crashed...I was thinking about the Academy and how I was wondering what Hiccup was going to have us do next... It was like...as soon as I thought of Hiccup, my mind went all hazy. I felt cold all over and then, out of no where, I couldn't move! I crashed right after that."

Astrid stares at him, trying to put together what he's getting at.

"And now...I'm still a little woozy feeling. And when you said Hiccup's name a minute ago..." He hesitates again, obviously uncomfortable admitting this. But Astrid _needs _know now. She kneels beside his bed and grabs his wrist, staring directly into his eyes when she says,

"Fishlegs, tell me! This could be important!"

"I uh..." He swallows. "When you said his name...I got a really bad feeling. Like he's...he's..."

"He's what?!" She demands.

"It felt like he was...dead. Like for a split-second...I was mourning him."

* * *

Aragwen glares into the meadow, her eyes blazing furiously. Hiccup is not here. Why is he not here?! With a frustrated growl, she reaches out to him, feeling for his soul. She finds it...still within Berk. What on earth is he doing _there_?! Someone must have intervened and stopped him from leaving.

But then, she searches a little deeper and a troubled frown tugs down the corners of her mouth. This isn't good... Hiccup is nowhere near the clearing and the poison is beginning to take effect. At this rate, even pushing him won't be enough to get him here in time.

And if he doesn't make it to the cave in time for the ritual... Then all is lost. Her precious host will die and the Dark One will be lost to this world until she can find another! She can't let that happen!

And so, she races to her cave to prepare the necessary spell circle. This is going to be close... She has to hurry.


	12. Dying

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**In response to...**_

_DoomsdayBeamXD: __**The potion itself is not lethal, but it's very possible with all the wear-and-tear on Hiccup's body lately (being pushed, injured etc...) that his body will simply give out if it's stressed too much more. **_

_**Also, I've updated by outlines a bit and I think we're about 25% done...still a lot to go and a lot of stuff that's going to take more than one chapter to get through. Sooo...prepare yourselves, I guess. XD**_

_**Short chapter today, sorry guys! I have a TON of end-of-semester work to do so I didn't have a lot of time to work on this!**_

* * *

It's raining now on Berk. A cold, heavy downpour that soaks the vikings straight through their clothes. Most of the sensible Hooligans have taken shelter within their homes or the Great Hall. But there's one girl who is still braving the weather, not caring how miserable it is outside. Astrid is so close to Hiccup's house now. She _has _to be sure that what Fishlegs said isn't true... Hiccup can't be dead. He...he _can't_ be.

And so Astrid sprints through the furious rain, her boots sinking into mud puddles that swallow her legs almost to the ankle. Lightning cracks in the sky, as if Thor himself were hurrying her along. Thunder rumbles loudly in the distance, shaking the sturdy homes on their foundations.

She can see the front door of the chief's house. The windows are fogged up, a bit of light filtering through from inside. Someone is home... As she hurriedly climbs the stairs, she notices a pair of boots sitting out on the porch, protected from the rain by the overhanging roof. Only _one_ pair of boots. Stoick's.

Astrid outwardly whimpers, fear welling up inside her. She lifts her fist to the door and knocks, forcing herself not to just barge straight in. She takes a breath, hoping to steady herself...but it doesn't work.

No one comes to the door.

She knocks again.

Still no response.

Astrid grinds her teeth together and reaches out for the handle when-

"Hiccup?" The voice is so muffled by the wall that Astrid has to strain to hear what Stoick is saying. However, if she can hear him over the sound of the rain _and_ through a wall all the way from upstairs...he must be speaking rather loudly. "Hiccup, come on! Wake up!"

Her hand freezes over the handle. Oh gods... Could it be...true? Without wasting another second, Astrid throws open the door and runs inside. She hurriedly climbs the stairs to Hiccup's room...and stops, her eyes widening.

"Oh no..."

* * *

Deep in cave shadow-ridden cave, Aragwen stands back and gazes at her handiwork. The spell circle is sloppy and hurried...but it will work. ...hopefully. Kneeling down beside it, she places her two hands on its crude edge and shuts her eyes.

_This had better work...I can't afford to lose him after all this._

The witch mutters a few strings of foreign words, her murmurs echoing off the dank walls. The circle grows warm, almost hot. Aragwen's chanting grows louder, the words becoming more and more complex as the circle begins to glow. An eerie white glow flooding the cave...

* * *

"What..._happened_?" Astrid breathes, staring at the form of her best friend, laying motionless on his bed. Hiccup's skin is no longer a pale white like it used to be...now, it's a sickly grey color. Lifeless. His breaths are far too shallow and slow. There are dark shadows under his closed eyes. He looks like he should be cold but he's not shivering. He's not moving at all, save the weak lifting and falling of his chest. And it appears even that could stop at any moment...

She looks at Stoick, expecting an answer to her question. But...he doesn't seem to notice her. His tired, worried eyes are focused on nothing but his son's face. His hand gently smoothing the boy's hair.

_It's like, for a split second, I was mourning him..._ Astrid shivers at the sudden relevance of Fishlegs's words... Because, at this moment, Hiccup really does look dead.

_No...he's not dead...! _Astrid tells herself as she draws a bit closer, trying to discern the signs of life in his face. She finds none. If it wasn't for his breaths... She closes her eyes, feeling sick. _This is Aragwen's doing... _She opens her eyes again and stares at her friend's grey, deathly face. _What should I do...?_

* * *

When Toothless first saw Hiccup, staggering through the grassy fields on the outline of the forest, he had been overjoyed! He had been so worried that something may have happened to his little Rider, that he might be sick or injured somewhere. But no. There he was, and walking home of all things! Of course, that didn't last long. Toothless could now plainly see the sheer exhaustion on the boy's face, the unnatural coloration of his skin, the way his breaths were hitched... Something was not right...

And so Toothless had run to his friend's side, catching him just as he toppled over. And then, it was one of those rare moments in a dragon's life when he wishes he didn't have such heightened senses...

It was clear by the look on Stoick's face that he was worried for his son, but not nearly worried enough. Toothless could hear it...the way his human's heart was gradually slowing down...the way his breaths were shortening...

And it was at that moment that Toothless came the horrifying realization. The one that shook him to the very core... Nothing had ever scared the Night Fury as deeply as this moment.

Hiccup..._his_ Hiccup...was dying.

* * *

_**A/N: Once again, sorry for such a short chapter. **_


	13. Revelations

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**A/N: A bit of HiccupxAstrid in this chapter ;D Sorry if you don't like that pairing! I do...so...I win. XD Anyway, just another little warning, Stoick might be a tad bit OOC... (keep in mind all that has happened in this fanfic and the prequel as well. He's under a lot stress being, not only Hiccup's father, but the chief of the tribe as well. He has to protect his son AND his people, simultaneously. I'm just trying to make it realistic to how someone with all that responsibility and stress would react...)**_

* * *

Toothless croons sadly at Hiccup, nudging the boy's cheek for the hundredth time. He licks the prone child's freckled face, hoping maybe that will rouse him. But of course, it doesn't work. He gets zero response from his friend, not even a batting of an eyelid. Hiccup is out cold and if anything, drifting further away from reality instead of closer. At this rate...Toothless is beginning to wonder if he'll ever wake up.

A sorrowful whimper from the Night Fury is what causes Stoick to finally tear his gaze from his son's face. He's never heard Toothless make such a noise... Needless to say, that doesn't improve his confidence that his boy will pull through... Dragons have very good instincts, after all. And if Toothless is getting worried...?

"Ahem..." The voice is uncharacteristically quiet but familiar, nonetheless.

Stoick turns, a perpetual frown still marring his face. "Astrid...what are you doing here?" He hadn't noticed her come in.

Her wide, blue eyes are still locked on Hiccup's face. "I...I came to check on Hiccup...I was worried that..." Her eyes tighten. "What on earth happened to him?"

Stoick doesn't answer her at first. As if drawn by a magnet, his gaze works back to Hiccup's face, a deep and heavy sigh leaving his throat. "I don't know." He admits, his voice thick with emotion. "When we found him, he was on the verge of collapsing. He passed out before I got the chance t-to..." His voice hitches and he has to pauses before continuing. If she didn't know any better...Astrid would be certain she sees the threat of tears in her chief's eyes. "...to ask him anything."

She nods, slowly. This all feels so surreal. Like a dream...or, well, a nightmare. "How long has he been like this?" She asks, watching Toothless as he draws away from his human and crawls over to her, a sad and worried look on his face. She pats his head, kneeling down to gentle stroke the poor creature's back. He must be so scared...

"Almost an hour..." Stoick mumbles, running a thumb over Hiccup's cheek.

"This has got to be Aragwen's doing..." Astrid growls, acidicly. "We need to stop her before this goes any further!" She barks, expecting her over-protective chief to jump at the chance of finally getting rid of her.

"We can't." He tells her, softly.

"What?" She demands.

"The man who was guarding her cell block was found unconscious this morning, locked in Aragwen's cell...she's gone."

Astrid's steps falter, her mouth falling open. "She's _gone_?! When did this happen?!"

"The guard told me just a few minutes ago...he and a few others wanted to go into the woods after her but I stopped them. No sense in anyone else getting killed because of _her_..."

"But...Sir..." She protests. "What about Hiccup? I'm sure this is her doing! If we can stop her-"

"And how do you propose we do that?!" He snaps, whipping around to face her. "She's just too powerful, Astrid! Every time someone gets near her, they end up hurt or dead! Look at my son! He's in a coma for Thor's sake!"

That stings Astrid a little more than expected. What does he want to do then? Just sit around and wait for Hiccup to die?! What kind of plan is that?! He's Hiccup's _father_! He should be doing everything in his power to track Aragwen down! Not...sitting and moping...!

_Maybe that's all you can do... _A little part of her mind whispers. _Maybe you're all out of options. He's right, after all. Aragwen is too dangerous._

"N-no..." She growls to herself, unable to admit it. _No. There HAS to be something... _A pained look flashes in her eyes when she looks at Hiccup again. He looks so frail, like he might just shatter... Hiccup had always been a little 'breakable' compared to the other teens...but _this_...this is too much.

Grinding her teeth together, Astrid stands up, taking her hand away from Toothless. The dragon tilts his head and coos at her, confused. Her expression is suddenly dark, her eyes intense. _I won't let you die, Hiccup. _"Stoick," She growls.

He glances back up at her.

"You won't let me go after Aragwen, will you?"

"Absolutely not." He replies, firmly.

"Then what _can_ I do? There has to be something!"

He hesitates a bit before saying, "Yes. There is something you can do for me."

She nods, eager to help.

"I don't want to leave Hiccup right now...you never know. So I want you to go find Gobber and Gothi and bring them here. Tell them it's an emergency. Get the other Riders as well."

She nods vigorously and turns toward the door before pausing. Toothless is staring at her, a soft drone emanating from his chest. She offers him a quick, fleeting smile. "Don't worry, Toothless." She whispers. "Hiccup is going to be alright. Just stay with him for now, okay?"

The dragon's ears flick as he listens to her, a comprehending look flickering across his face and he purrs, almost as if saying 'thank you'. Then, he stands up and crosses the room again, laying his head in the boy's lap before settling down beside him.

Astrid smiles, her eyes still shining with determination as she races out the door... It will take some time to track everyone down, particularly the other teens. But if Stoick thinks they might be able to help Hiccup...then she'll _make_ it happen.

* * *

Another hour passes and night is beginning to fall over Berk. With the lack of sunshine, the air chills and the rain turns to snow. The grass crystallizes with frost, spreading over the village like an icy spider web. From the sky, it's entirely possible to watch the candles in each window of every house go dark. Shutters are closed and locked and the tiny village goes to sleep.

Astrid is only half surprised to see the lights go off in Hiccup's house as well. She had thought Stoick would want to to stay awake...but then again, what use is he to anyone if he's sleep-deprived? He'll probably just go to sleep on his chair in his son's room, anyway. She knows he won't let her down. If there's one person in the whole world who cares about that boy more than her, or maybe even Toothless, it's Stoick.

With that comforting thought in mind, she pats Stormfly's side and tells her to head toward Raven Point. She's been able to track down everyone but the twins...go figure. Snotlout, Gobber, Gothi, even _Fishlegs_ are getting ready to head over to the chief's house. Now she just has to find Ruffnut and Tuffnut... But where in the name of Odin would those two be?!

* * *

It's been hours. Hours of concentration and hard work...but finally, _finally _Aragwen thinks the spell is just about ready. Stealing a peek at the spell circle below her, she finds it glowing a luminous shade of white. The cave is filled with the eerie echos of souls living in the Dark One's world, separated from this dimension by that fragile thing called 'perception'.

Bowing her head, she whispers for him. _"It's nearly time...your Tether will be here soon..."_

An otherworldly voice wooshes through the cavern, sounding a thousand souls all talking at once. Its sound sends chills down her spine. The Dark One sounds irritable today...

She smiles. _"Have patience...the ritual is practically complete and the boy's body is nearly ready for you. I've managed to stabilize him for the moment but we need to get him here soon... Would you mind sending someone in to do the job?"_

As if in response, a black mist suddenly materializes in front of her. It shifts and sways back and forth, a pair of dark orbs drift in its center...almost like eyes. The lost soul hisses and twists a bit closer, the air around it causing Aragwen's breath to come out in cold little puffs of white.

_"Thank you," _She says. _"You know what to do."_

And with that, the blackened spirit vanishes and Aragwen sits back from the circle. She rolls her stiff shoulders and rubs her neck. With a little smile, she glances around the empty cave.

_"No need to worry." _She tells the Dark One, who still floats around her. _"We'll be together again soon, my dear." _

The voice whispers around her, like a gentle, caressing hand. _Hiiinnnnrriiikkk? _It asks.

And Aragwen's face darkens. _"No. He was stolen from us. He's a traitor. The boy who will become your new Tether filled his mind with corruption and made him turn against us..." _She suddenly stands up, sighing in frustration. _"I wish I could have kept him...he was a good boy. Such a shame..."_

The Dark One dances a bit closer, as if wanting to be near her. She feels invisible, icy fingers reaching out to her. With a sad smile, she holds out her hand, pretending that her fingers intertwine with his.

_"Patience, my love. We may have lost our son...but we will be together soon, I promise."_

* * *

_**A/N: ... *evil grin* ...**_

_**Why is chapter 13 always the 'big reveal' or climax in my stories...? XD**_


	14. The Plan

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**A/N: Dovahkiin! Dovahkiin! DOVAHKIIN! ...that is all. XD**_

* * *

Deep in the rolling hills that surround the Hooligan village, a herd of yaks are peacefully snoozing away, not bothered in the least by the biting cold and roaring winds. From a distance, they almost look like miniature hills, all covered in snow and frost. But still, they sleep on, oblivious to the world.

What they don't know, however, is that they're being watched by a most...peculiar predator. Or _two_ to be exact...

"Hey, move over, idiot!" Ruffnut growls under her breath as she shoves her brother. The twins are hidden within a snow blanketed bush, laying on their bellies as they observe their prey.

"No, you!" Tuffnut retorts in irritation. He punches her square in the shoulder, rustling the bush dangerously and spilling some of their white camouflage on the ground.

"Hey, stupid!" Ruff hisses. "Are you trying to get us seen?!"

"No! Wait...am I?" He hesitates, tapping his chin in thought before shaking his head. "No, I'm pretty sure we're supposed to be hidden right now..."

"Exactly!" She says, shimmying a bit forward. "Then stop pushing me!"

"I'm not pushing you! You're pushing me!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!"

Ruff shoots him a glare and peeks out from beneath their cover. "Come on, I see one ripe for the tippin'!" She chuckles, obviously deciding to ignore her brother's immaturity.

"Ooooh yeah! That big fat one?"

"Yeah!" She agrees in sheer delight. "On three..."

Tuff nods, grinning. "One..."

"Two..."

"Uhh..." He passes her a nervous look. "What comes after two?"

"Ummm..." Ruff pauses. "I think it's nine, right?"

"No! Wait, it's seven!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Tuff bites his lip. "No..."

"Wait, why are we counting?" Ruff asks, having forgotten.

"I don't know." He admits. "Counting is for nerds!"

"Yeah, like Hiccup!"

The twins snicker, quietly before remembering where they are. "Oh yeah, let's go tip that fat one over there!"

"I like the way you think, sister!" Tuff says. They're both about to pounce out of their hiding spot when a shadow suddenly passes over the hills, stopping them in their tracks. "Oh no! That's Astrid!" Tuffnut gasps.

"Oh maaaann! If she finds us, we'll get in trouble!"

"Yeah, we're not supposed to be yak tipping!"

"Stoick made us clean the dragon stalls last time he found out...that was gross!" Ruff shivers at the memory of all those dragon droppings. "Stay hidden until she's gone."

"Right." And so the twins shrink back under cover and patiently wait until their friend and her Deadly Nadder vanishes from sight. If they strain to hear, they just make out her frustrated voice.

"Come on guys...where are you?" She mutters, mostly to herself. She'd been so sure they would be here. With an annoyed grunt, she steers Stormfly in another direction. "Maybe they'll be by the river...?"

* * *

Hiccup's room is dark, nearly pitch black. The only light emanates off of the flickering embers in the fireplace that had gone out hours before. His father, who had resolved to just rest his eyes for a few minutes, now snores loudly in the chair beside his son's bed. Even Toothless has curled up on his stone slab against the wall. There's just something very boring about staring at an unconscious teenager for hours on end and, eventually, both of them had lost their fight against heavy eyelids and let sleep consume them...

Not long after, however, something changes in the room. If anyone had been awake to see it, it would have appeared as if a black mist had just materialized from under the front door. It looks like fog as it rolls up the stairs, toppling over itself like a wave. Eventually, the strange mist reaches the foot of Hiccup's bed. It glances sideways at Stoick with coal-black eyes that seem to devour light like a black-hole. Despite the mist being entirely transparent, no light manages to filter through those empty, dark eyes.

Suddenly, the mist begins to shift. Its shape changes, bubbling up and eventually standing upright over the boy's bed in a humanoid shape. It tilts its head and stares at him, reaching out with a blurry hand.

As the smokey appendage hovers over Hiccup's stomach, the teen begins to squirm uncomfortably. The soul creeps closer, jerking its head to the side and lowering its hand until it nearly touches the unconscious teen's chest.

A low, ungodly hiss escapes from it and finally, its fingers brush his skin.

Hiccup's eyes snap open as his consciousness is torn back into reality, his back arcs off the bed and a scream rips from his throat. His hands fist the blankets as the mist begins to seep through his skin, disappearing into his chest... He screams in agony, his unfocused eyes finding his father still asleep beside him... How does he not hear him?! Why has he not woken up?!

_"Because I have told him not to..." _Aragwen purrs in his ears.

"Dad..." Hiccup whimpers as the last of the soul vanishes into him. His limbs begins to feel dead and he collapses back to the bed, his eyes fluttering dangerously. "Help..." He pleads, panicked tears stinging his eyes.

_"Don't bother." _Aragwen whispers. _"No one can help you now... You're mine, Hiccup. Heart, body and soul...you belong to me."_

He shivers as the world turns dark, his eyes slipping shut once again... _It's happening again... _He realizes, numbly. _Whatever that was just now... It...possessed me... _Just before the invading soul mercilessly crushes him down, he feels his body become incredibly heavy.

_"Rest, lost soul...we must be careful not to break him. He is very important."_

* * *

When Stoick finally sputters awake, having accidentally fallen into a deep sleep, he hears the hurried sound of footsteps below him. As well as the hushed voices of the Dragon Riders. They must have just showed up. He glances at Hiccup, unconscious and seemingly not having moved a muscle. Of course not... He's practically in a coma, after all.

That's when Astrid appears at the top of the steps. "I brought everyone together...well, except for the twins. I couldn't find them..."

"That's fine." Stoick mumbles, still a little groggy. _I never should have let myself fall asleep! Something could have happened to Hiccup and I wouldn't even have figured it out until it was too late..._ He shakes his head and stands up. _Thankfully that didn't happen. _"Everyone else is here, though? Just the twins are missing?"

"Yes sir." She nods. "They're waiting downstairs. What do you want us to do?" She asks him, stiffly. Always the warrior...

"Come," He says, motioning for her to follow him. "We'll discuss this downstairs."

She obediently follows him down the steps where the others are waiting. Gobber and Gothi are sitting on wooden stools by the fireplace, poking it back to life. The teens, who all look half-asleep and a bit irritable, are standing throughout the main room, shivering from the cold and blinking with heavy eyelids. It _is_ the middle of the night, after all.

"Alright, Astrid!" Snotlout grumbles in annoyance. "Why did you bring us all here? What's going on?"

She hesitates, unsure of what Stoick wants her to tell them.

"I had Astrid gather you all because I need your help." Their chief announces. "There's been...an accident."

Everyone's eyes grow wide as they exchange worried looks. "What kind of 'accident'?" Fishlegs wonders, grimly. He already has a bad feeling about this, remembering his foreboding about Hiccup... "Wh-where's Hiccup?"

Stoick grimaces. "He's upstairs...unconscious."

There's a collective gasp and everyone is suddenly paying a lot more attention. Even Snotlout seems worried and he usually doesn't pay much attention to his 'rival'.

"It was Aragwen, we're sure of it. She's done something to him and now he can't wake up. Toothless and I found him staggering through the fields in a...trance of some kind. He collapsed as soon as we got to him."

"Okaay..." Snotlout draws. "And what are we supposed to do about it? None of us are exactly experts on witches..."

"Actually," Stoick nods to Gothi. "Elder, having been alive as long as you have, surely you must know some things on witches..."

The elderly woman gives him a curious look before slowly getting to her feet. She tips her head down, a slight nod. Then, with her ancient staff, she begins to write something on floor... Gobber jumps up to read it, being the only one who can translate.

"She says..." He tilts his head, squinting his eyes in concentration. "She doesn't know much about the craft itself...but she does know a few things on how to combat it!" He looks up, excitedly. "She says she'll do what she can for your boy!"

Stoick offers a polite smile to her. "Thank you, Gothi."

She nods again and hobbles toward the stairs, Gobber in tow. As soon as they're gone, Stoick looks back to the teens.

"There's still something I need of you kids."

"Anything." Astrid assures him.

"In the morning, I'll be leading the three of you to Aragwen's clearing. We'll fly above on the dragons and try to pinpoint where she is. After that, we can come up with the best plan of taking her out for good."

Fishlegs's eyes widen. "Y-you mean..._kill her_?"

"Yes. She's a danger to everyone. You should know that better than anyone, Fishlegs. She could have killed you."

"Yeah...I guess...I'll go for Hiccup's sake..." He mutters in response.

"I'm in!" Snotlout barks, enthusiastically. "Hookfang and I'll show her who's boss! We'll burn that old hag to a crisp!"

Astrid nods at him, smirking a bit. For once, his violent tendencies are coming in handy... "I'll be there too."

Stoick smiles at them. "Thank you for your bravery. Hiccup will be so proud of you when he wakes up."

The kids grin at each other.

"We'll meet at Raven Point first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes sir!" They shout in unison. And with that, the teens rush off to prepare for their mission, their dragons squawking and growling as if sharing in their excitement.


	15. Hinrik

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**A/N: The climax is getting closer...according to the outline, we're about 40% done. Also, lots of revelations in these past chapters! Tons of plot and important stuff XD That's awesome! For once, I'm not getting side tracked and distracted by fluff and needless violence! Weeee~ Plot-stuff is fun!**_

_**In response to...**_

_Wanli8970: **Just wait and see! XD**_

* * *

It's midnight. Hiccup's room is the only one in the whole village that is still lit up. Various candlesticks are flickering in their bases, as well as a now roaring fireplace. Gothi stands over the boy, a focused frown on her wrinkled lips. Stoick and Gobber hover very close by, craving to know if she's able to help the stricken boy.

"Well, Gothi?" Stoick asks in a hushed voice. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

The elder pauses. She reaches out with an ancient hand and touches Hiccup's forehead. No fever. She then lifts up his limp, cool arm and turns it over, feeling his wrist for a pulse. The gentle _thumps _of his heart are weak, barely even detectable, but at least they're steady. She lowers his arm back to the bed and stands back, thoughtfully scratching her chin.

Stoick nervously shifts his weight. It's been twenty minutes since she agreed to help Hiccup...it never takes this long to make a diagnosis. But there's one thing that is slightly comforting to him. For some reason, his son looks...healthier than before. His skin is just slightly less grey, a bit more color in his cheeks. His breathing seems easier too. Is he beginning to recover?

That's when the elderly woman reaches for her staff and Gobber jumps to attention. She scrawls a message along the floor and steps back so Gobber can translate.

"She says..." His eyes grow wide. "She says Hiccup was _poisoned_..."

"Poisoned?!" Stoick barks. "What do you mean he was poisoned?!"

"She says that his body is showing the signs." Gobber shrugs, clearly unsure of what that means.

"So...will he be alright? How can we cure it?" Stoick demands in hyped, nervous voice. His son has been poisoned... No wonder he's been unconscious.

Gothi shakes her head slowly, making Stoick's stomach drop. What does that mean...? She bends down and writes something in the ground.

Gobber hesitates before reading it aloud. "She...doesn't know, Stoick. She's never seen this toxin before..."

It's at that moment, while Stoick's steps falter as the horror of the situation sinks in and while Gobber and Gothi are focused on relaying the terrible news...that Hiccup's eyes screw a little tighter shut... The invading soul within him stirs, coming back to reality. This body is rested and healing and is no longer in danger. It's time to go...

Pale green eyes flutter open, a dissatisfied frown curling down his lips when he notices he's not alone in the room. There are others now... This body's family, perhaps? Great. How is he supposed to get rid of them...?

_"Wait." _His mistress's voice rings through his mind. _"Don't risk getting caught. Wait until they've left..."_

_ Yes ma'am._ With that, he closes his eyes again and focuses on keeping his breaths deep and even, as if he were still asleep. Meanwhile, he distracts himself from his anxiousness by listening in on their conversation.

"So what should we do...?" Stoick asks, his voice thick with worry over his son. "Surely there's a way we can help him..."

Gothi nods, almost confidently. She writes something else and Gobber translates.

"She has an idea of something she could do to neutralize the poison...although she isn't sure if it will work or not."

"Well it's something, at least!" Stoick points out. "Which is better than what I could do a few minutes ago. How long will it take, Gothi?"

"She says she'll work on it tonight and let it brew until morning. She'll bring it here first thing tomorrow."

Stoick nods. "Thank you."

She offers crooked smile and shuffles toward the door, ready to head home and mix up the antidote. Gobber follows after her, but not before patting Stoick on the shoulder and smirking at him.

"Don't worry, Stoick." He says. "Hiccup'll be alright. Just get some rest."

His friend sighs deeply. "You're right...I'll be of no use to anyone if I'm too tired to fly tomorrow."

"Exactly! We'll see you then." And then he hobbles down the stairs and out the front door, leaving Stoick and his son alone in the dimly lit room. Well, 'alone' being a relative term...

* * *

The wind has died down considerably since earlier in the evening, making Astrid's return flight not as miserable as it could have been. Of course, with all the stress from Hiccup's..._condition_ and the whole ordeal with Aragwen...it may have well been pouring rain and sleet for how awful she feels.

"Stormfly, down." She commands half-heartedly as her house comes into view. The Nadderhead squawks and obediently lowers down to the ground, letting her Rider slide off the saddle. Astrid stretches her stiff legs before grabbing her dragon's lead and guiding her to the barn.

_ "Astrid..." _Someone whispers.

She stops mid-step. A chill runs up her spine and she slowly, fearfully turns to face where the voice had come from. Stormfly growls and flaps her wings, staring into the emptiness with curious, yellow eyes. There's no one there.

Astrid bites the inside of her cheek to keep from voicing her fear. Instead, she takes a step backwards and grabs Stormfly's saddle. "Come on, girl...it was just...our imaginations..." Just as she turns her back-

_"Astrid...!"_

"Who's there?!" She barks, unable to fight it this time. "Come out!"

But no one steps forward. No one she can see, anyway. Astrid shivers when she gets the distinct feeling of being watched. The hair on the back of her neck stands up and goosebumps race across her arms. It feels like someone has touched her wrist... She jerks it away from the invisible fingers and stumbles backwards, Stormfly hissing at the invisible person. The dragon's natural instincts tell her not to trust someone who has died...but she doesn't get a particularly _bad_ feeling from this ghost.

"Who...who are you?" She whispers, somehow not so surprised anymore. After all, it's not like ghosts and witches are new thing anymore.

_"I'm here to help." _The voice whispers. Despite the voice sounding very inhuman and wooshing more like wind than actual human speech, she gets the distinct impression that this person...is a boy. He feels...familiar as well.

"To...h-help?" She asks, her words trembling.

_"Yes." _He assures her in an oddly gentle voice. _"Rest assured, Hiccup is my friend too. I want to help you keep him safe."_

Her breath catches. _Hiccup..._? "Wait a second...are you...?"

_"Hinrik." _He confirms. _"I assume Hiccup told you about me already then?"_

"Yes..." She breathes. "You're the one who saved him last time."

The ghost-Hinrik-laughs a little, although it's a bitter sound. _"I guess so. Tell me, Astrid...do you want to save Hiccup?"_

She doesn't even pause. "Yes."

_"I can help you do it. I can help you save him. But it's going to be risky."_

She sets her jaw in determination and nods, tightly. "I'll do anything."

Hinrik smirks with his transparent lips. This girl must really care about Hiccup... Then again, he figured that out last time when he- He swallows, remembering how he took advantage of her and vaguely wonders if she remembers that. _"Good. Then here's what we have to do..."_


	16. So Close

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**A/N: Mid-terms...mid-terms everywhere... *sob***_

* * *

Astrid stares at the ground between her feet, a conflicted knot in her brow. Stormfly chirps, nudging her Rider with her head as if expressing concern about this plan of Hinrik's... "You think it will work?" She asks in quiet voice.

_"Honestly...? I have no way of knowing for sure. But then again, what plan can you EVER be certain about?" _He points out.

"Well that's reassuring." She grumbles. Astrid hesitates a bit more, unsure of why she feels so reluctant about this. _I mean, it's a creepy idea...but...this is for Hiccup. If we don't do anything to stop this...Hiccup is going to die...! _

Suddenly, Hinrik sighs. He seems almost impatient. _"I hate to rush you, Astrid. I know this is a big decision and all...but the longer we wait, the more chance there will be that Hiccup will get possessed and taken straight to my mother. We need to hurry if we're going to do this!"_

"I-I know!" She says, raking her fingers through her hair. "I know...and...I'll do it but...but..." It's just the thought of it that bothers her so much. Being pushed is one thing and she's dealt with that before. It wasn't..._so_ bad. Other than trying to kill Hiccup and all. But being _possessed_? Having Hinrik hide out in her body so they can sneak up on Aragwen...? Not only is it insanely risky, it might not even work!

Then again...

At that moment, an image floats through her mind. An image of an innocent looking boy with a freckled face and auburn hair. He's grinning a crooked, buck-toothed smile and gazing at her with the warmest forest green eyes...

_Hiccup... _She breathes as her heart flutters.

_"Astrid?" _Hinrik asks again, wondering why she's being so silent.

"Okay." She nods, her jaw set in determination. "Okay, I'll do it."

* * *

Eventually, Stoick kept his promise to Gobber and fell asleep. Now he's lounging in his stiff, wooden chair beside his son's bed, his head lulled against the wall behind him. He snores loudly so it's no wonder he doesn't hear the sound of 'Hiccup' sitting up in bed...

The soul gazes at him through pale, almost lifeless, green eyes. Tilting his head, he sits forward and swings his legs around onto the floor. Hiccup's invader allows himself a moment to marvel at this boy's left leg...it's made of metal, he realizes. How strange. When he puts weight on it, it creaks. That will make getting out of here without being seen much harder... Especially with _that_ thing in the room.

He glares daggers at Toothless, almost daring him to wake up and try to stop him from leaving. It would be a pleasure to kill a dragon again after all these years. Although he doubts this frail little body would be able to do much damage. And besides, he hasn't got the time.

So with an annoyed grunt, he stands up and sneaks toward the stairs. Placing a hand on the wall, he allows himself one more glance back at the room, grimacing at the painful tug in his chest. This host really isn't very compliant, is he? Even after being pushed down, he's still awake in there... The real Hiccup is also gazing at his bedroom, unable to move to speak or cry out for help. He's a captive, just like before. Only this time, he has the aching feeling he won't be getting off as easily as last time...

_Toothless..!._ He pleads in his mind, staring at the sleeping Night Fury. _Dad...! _But neither of them can hear him and now his body is moving again. His head turns away without his consent and he's forced to watch his own two legs carry him down the steps and out the front door. He struggles to control his limbs, to move something, _anything_. Even a finger! But he's as good as paralyzed.

_"Stop fighting." _The lost soul hisses in his mind. _"It's useless. No one escapes from Aragwen. Especially someone as important as you..."_

_ Me? Important? _Hiccup asks suddenly, feigning ignorance. _What do you mean 'important'? _Maybe if he can keep this guy talking long enough, someone will find him and realize there's something wrong.

But the other soul either doesn't hear his question or chooses to ignore it. Either way, he only closes the door behind him and starts jogging toward the edge of the village, smirking as the dark woods grow closer...

But that's when something..._changes_ inside Hiccup. It feels like something in his brain just..._snaps_. He had thought his dealings with the poison were over after whatever this other soul did to him. But, obviously, the healing that had occurred was only temporary... Both souls gasp as the horrible, searing pain shoots through Hiccup's head. He stops, doubling over to clutch his pounding temples. Stars flash before his eyes and he gets the sudden, insatiable urge to lay down as his legs grow weak. They pull him to the ground, forcing him to kneel in the snow.

"Ahhh..." Hiccup whimpers as the pain intensifies. His fingers curl around his throbbing head, trembling from cold and agony. He's almost relieved when his vision begins to fade. The next thing he knows, he laying face down in the snow. His heart is pounding in his ears and his sight is going black...

* * *

"Is it clear...?" Ruffnut whispers to her brother. The twins are hidden around the back of the Great Hall, preparing to sneak into the sleeping village.

Tuffnut, who's neck is craned around the corner, glances over his shoulder at her. "Is what clear?"

"The village!" She hisses, urgently.

"How would the village be 'clear'? I can see it, stupid!" He chuckles.

She's about to retort but pauses. "Hmm...I don't know."

"See? And that's why I'm the smart one!"

"Pff, you're not smart!"

"Neither are you!"

"I'm _way_ smarter than you are!"

They bash their helmets together, glaring at each other as they continue their childish bickering. However, it's while all this is going on, that the front door of the chief's house gently glides open and a figure steps out.

The twins go still, not wanting to be caught out after curfew and risk getting dragon-stall duty again... But that's when they recognize the figure slinking through the darkness.

"Hiccup...?" Ruffnut wonders, staring after their friend as he obviously tries to sneak toward the woods. "What's he doing?"

"I don't know." Tuff says, eyeing the other boy with a suspicious curiosity. "Should we go ask him...?"

But, even for someone as thick-headed as the twins, they can tell something's up. And their ideas are confirmed when Hiccup suddenly stops in his tracks and doubles over, moaning in pain. A moment later, he collapses to the ground.

And that jars them into action.

"HICCUP!" Ruffnut shouts as she starts running, quickly followed by her brother. They reach him in seconds. "Hiccup! Hiccup!" She calls as she shakes his shoulder, trying to rouse him. But to no avail.

"Come on," Tuffnut says as he wraps an arm around Hiccup's waist. "Let's get him back inside!" He hauls the semi-conscious teen to his shaky feet and drags him in the direction of his house.

The siblings hear him groan in pain and pick up their pace. Whatever happened to him, it must not have been good. Ruffnut runs ahead and throws open the door, making way as her brother drags Hiccup into the front room, leaving a fine trail of melted snow and chunks of ice from Hiccup's clothes.

"CHIEF!" Ruff shouts at the tops of her lungs. Neither she nor Tuff notice Hiccup's eyes flutter open for a moment. He stares blankly at the ceiling, feeling a weak triumph when he notices he's back in control of his body for now...

Stoick thunders down the stairs, furious that he found Hiccup gone. Of course, all that anger melts away and is replaced by a chilling fear at the sight of his boy laying on the floor, soaked to the bone with snow and shivering. "Hiccup..." He whispers.


	17. Not Me

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_**A/N: I feel like Hinrik's personality is very different than what I originally had planned for him. When I first started writing out the outlines to Bewitched, I had a pretty loose idea of him and didn't go much further. Honestly, he was a pretty bland character in the outlines...but I think his actual personality has come a pretty good way since then! I'm proud of my little ghost boy! XD And I hope you guys like him too. Of course, Aragwen has a special place in my heart as well...she's just SO EVIL! XD I love it!**_

* * *

Being possessed is a strange feeling. It's like...having someone else's thoughts melt in with yours, a constant echo in the back of your mind. But not just that, either. It's like having someone else's entire _being_ melt in with your own. Like there's always someone behind you but whenever you look, there's no one there. Not to mention the cold feeling that racks Astrid's body as she sprints toward Hiccup's house. It's a deeper cold than just the wind or the snow, one that chills her to the very core.

_"I'm sorry..." _Hinrik whispers to her, his voice sounding regretful. _"This must be unpleasant..."_

"Don't worry about it." She tells him, breathlessly from running. "We're both doing this for Hiccup's sake. It will be over soon..." She adds that last part more for herself than to reassure Hinrik. She can't see him, obviously, but she gets the distinct feeling that he smirks at when she says that.

_"You're very loyal to him." _He comments. _ "Hiccup is very lucky to have someone like you."_

She blushes a bit and tries to ignore the insinuation. "Well he's my best friend." She grumbles, perhaps a bit too acidly. After all, he did just compliment her. "I want to help him through this..."

_"And we will." _He assures her. _"I'll do whatever it takes..."_

She hesitates for a moment as a question occurs to her. "Why do you want to help him so bad? I mean...aren't you Aragwen's _son_?"

Hinrik smirks again, although there's an echo of sadness behind it. _"Yes, I am." _He tells her. _"But I wish I wasn't... She's a monster. The best example of one this world has to offer..." _He sounds bitter and angry, not that Astrid can blame him. She would be too if it were her mother going around killing people... _"I want to help Hiccup because...I believe if anyone can finally put a stop to her, it's him."_

She frowns. "What makes you say that?"

_"...I don't know. I just have a feeling." _Suddenly, he shrugs. _"Besides, he's my friend too. I'd hate to see him suffer more than he has to...let's just hope we make it in time."_

"We will." She says, again more for herself than him. "We're almost there." As if on que, the peak of the roof sneaks over the horizon and Astrid picks up speed, eager to tell Stoick their plan and check on Hiccup.

_"Oh, and Astrid?"_

"Yeah?"

_"You might not want to speak out loud to me anymore...I am invisible, remember? People might get the wrong idea..."_

She blinks, her face heating in embarrassment when she realizes she's been pretty much talking to herself for the past ten minutes. _Uhhh...thanks. I'll keep that in mind._

Hinrik snickers and Astrid continues to scowl at the ground with a hot blush on her cheeks.

* * *

"Hiccup..." Stoick breathes. He hurries over to his son's limp form, half supported by Tuffnut. The shivering, sickly boy moans and looks at his father through half-lidded eyes.

"D-Dad..."

Stoick gasps. _He's awake! _He scoops Hiccup into his arms, drawing him away from Tuffnut. "Son, what happened? Are you okay?!"

"N-not...me..." He whispers, deliriously. "I'm not...not me...not..."

"What?" His father asks. "What do you mean?"

But his son's eyes flutter shut and he doesn't respond when Stoick calls his name and shakes his shoulder. "Hiccup!" He urges, desperate for him to answer. But he never does.

"Oh man..." Ruff mumbles, staring at the scene in front of her.

"Yeah...I feel like we missed something." Her brother agrees, earning a harsh glare from Stoick.

"Kids...what happened? Tell me everything!"

"Uhh..."

"Umm...well, we weren't yak-tipping, that's for sure!" Tuff tells him, winking at his sister none-too-discreetly.

Stoick groans and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't care what you were doing before this! What happened to Hiccup?! Did you see?"

"Ooh that! Yeah we saw that!" Ruffnut tells him with a proud smile. "He snuck out of the house and started running toward the woods. Then he started wobbling and acting weird...he collapsed after that."

"And then we picked him up and brought him here!" Tuffnut concludes for her. "So what's wrong with him? Is he sick or something...?"

Stoick lowers his gaze back to Hiccup's peaceful face. _They really don't pay attention, do they? _He sighs. "He's been bewitched by Aragwen again...except..." His eyes narrow as something else occurs to him.

'I'm not me'? Stoick frowns. Surely Hiccup was onl delerious...he couldn't mean that... The chief's eyes widen in horror. "Oh no..."

"What?" Ruff asks, eager to know all the gory details. "Is it Vorpentitis?! I had that once! Good thing Trader Johann had some spare potatoes on his ship!"

"Heyy, yeah! I remember that!" Her brother laughs. "You couldn't move and I put dad's boots on your head!"

Ruff growls and wacks him hard in the shoulder. "Yeah...I owed you that one."

"Kids!" Stoick shouts, angrily. "This is no time for foolishness!"

They both stiffen at the raw fury in his voice.

"My son...has been possessed again." He whispers, fearfully.

* * *

Astrid storms up the steps outside the Haddock house. She reaches out for the door handle but is stopped by Hinrik's urgent sounding voice ringing through her head.

_"Astrid, wait!" _He hisses, her hand freezing up on its own. Did Hinrik do that...?

_What is it? _She asks him, feeling tense. She just wants to get to Hiccup! Is that so much to ask?!

_"Something's not right..." _He mutters. _"I feel a presence here..."_

_ What does that mean? _She asks.

_ "Stay here." _He tells her. _"I'm going to go check it out." _Having said that, she feels him slip through the door of the house, momentarily leaving her body. She wobbles, dizzily at the lack of his presence but remains on her feet, obediently waiting for him to return.

* * *

As soon as they'd gotten within thirty yards of the familiar house, Hinrik had thought he'd sensed another soul in the area. It wasn't until Astrid was so close that he was sure of it. He has a bad feeling as he sinks through the wall and steps into the main room that he recognizes very well.

A pang goes through his chest, right where his heart used to be. _Oh Hiccup... _He whispers.

Hinrik's friend is laying in his father's arms, pale and limp. Stoick is talking with two other teens who Hinrik doesn't recognize. Toothless, Hiccup's dragon, is staring at his little Rider and whimpering sadly. He can feel it too, can't he? Said Night Fury's ears perk and he looks up, his eyes meeting the ghost's.

For one, terrifying moment, Hinrik fears that he won't remember him or will alert Stoick to his presence. But Toothless only coos a little before returning to Hiccup's side and nudging the boy with his nose.

_Phew... _Hinrik takes a step closer and grimaces again. Stoick can't see it...the twins can't see it...even Toothless can't see it...but Hinrik can. He can plainly see the twisting, evil shape of a lost soul wrapped around Hiccup's body. Its smoky tendrils knit through the boy's body like stitches. A pair of horrible, black eyes hover just above the sickly teen's head, hissing possessively at him.

Hinrik's hands ball into fists and for the first time in a long time, he wishes he could use them. He wishes to the gods that he could reach out and rip that horrible, ugly creature out of Hiccup. But he can't. Souls can't touch each other.

But there _is_ something he _can_ do. Strolling over to Hiccup's body, he ignores the lost soul's hisses and growls and kneels down beside his friend. With a tentative, gentle hand, he touches Hiccup's shoulder as if to wake him from a nap.

_Hiccup, _He whispers. _Come on, don't give up just yet._

It takes a moment but... _"Hhh...Hiinnn...rrik...?"_

_ Yes, it's me. Come on, up-and-at-em._

_ "Sooo...tiirred..."_

Hinrik frowns and tightens his grip on Hiccup's shoulder. _I know. But...think about your friends and your dad. They need you right now. Do you want to let them down?_

_ "Nnnoo..."_

_ Good. Then you have to wake up. It's not hard, just try._

_ "Caannn't...mooveee..."_

Hinrik sits back and glares at him. _Really? Because I recall you throwing quite the temper tantrum when I tried to push you down! Are you really just going to give up now?! Now that your friends and family are counting on you to stay alive?! _He doesn't want to be harsh but Hiccup is giving him no choice. He just needs to ignite that stubborn little flame of his... _You know Astrid is here, too? Do you want her to see you being so weak?_

_ "Noottt...faiiire..." _Hiccup grumbles, weakly. He must know what Hinrik is trying to do... Of course he doesn, he's smart.

_Pff, when have I ever played fair? Now come ON, Hiccup! We haven't got all day! _He urges again, giving his shoulder a little shove. _Snap to it!_

The other entity snarls at him, obviously struggling to keep his captive confined. Hinrik watches as the tentacle-like arms of the lost soul become transparent and frail.

_It's working, Hiccup! Keep fighting! _He cheers.

Just then, the lost soul roars so loudly even Stoick recoils, having felt the chilling reverberation in his head. Hiccup and Hinrik flinch, wondering what in Thor's name this thing is doing.

It squirms in fury and removes a few of its tentacles, coiling in on itself and drifting a little further away from its host.

Hinrik smiles. Hiccup is still possessed by it but it will take some time for the invader to be able to regain total control. That's good. That gives them a little time to work out their plan without Aragwen overhearing.

_"Did I...win?" _Hiccup wonders, his voice a little louder than before. His body moves as well, beginning to come back to consciousness.

_Yes. You did well, Hiccup. _Hinrik tells him. _The ghost who possessed you will stay away for a while. You can rest now, if you want._

_ "Oh good..." _He murmurs as he falls asleep once again.

* * *

_"Alright, Astrid. You can come in now." _Hinrik tells her, feeling quite satisfied with himself and Hiccup. _"And don't worry about Hiccup. He's safe for now."_

Astrid isn't sure what he means by that but feels comforted anyway. She nods and opens the door, her eyes widening at what she sees on the other side. Hiccup in Stoick's arms, the twins staring at the both of them with very confused expressions.

_Hinrik...what on earth happened? _She asks.

_"Hiccup is already possessed. That means we have less time than I thought. If we're going to do this, we need to hurry and explain it Stoick."_

She nods, tightly and steps into the room.

"Astrid...?" Stoick asks, sounding shaken and totally confused as well.

"Sir, we need to talk. I think I may have a way to defeat Aragwen..."

* * *

_**A/N: Despite what you might think, we're still only about 50% of the way through this (at least, that's what it looks like on my outline and they occasionally lie...so...take that with a grain of salt.) **_

_**Also, yeah. Vorpentitis is a disease straight out of the books by Cressida Cowell. (I think it's the fourth one...? How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse...? I might be wrong, though.)**_


	18. Still Here

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

_**A/N: Lots of answers/explanations in this chapter! Yay! :D**_

* * *

"Have you lost your mind?!" Stoick hisses, furiously. He and Astrid are standing at the base of the steps, trying to keep their voices down so they won't wake Hiccup, who desperately needs some decent rest. But now, Stoick is straining to keep himself from shouting. His face is red and there's a vein popping out on his forehead.

Astrid remains calm however, already having anticipated this kind of anger from her friend's overprotective dad. "Stoick, please. Just hear me out-"

"_Hear you out_?!" He snarls. "HEAR YOU OUT?! You want me to listen to you while you propose using my SON as bait?!"

She grimaces. When you put it _that_ way it does sound a little...reckless. She shakes her head vigorously. "No! I mean, not exactly 'bait'...more like...a distraction!" She laughs, nervously.

He doesn't seem amused. Stoick crosses his arms very tightly over his chest, his eyes narrowing angrily at her. "Have you gone crazy?" He asks again. "What's the point of coming up with a plan to stop Aragwen if we're just going to get Hiccup killed in the process?!"

"No, no! He won't be in any real danger, sir!" She insists. "Besides, she won't stop until she gets what she wants! Which, right now, happens to be Hiccup!" Astrid sighs and lowers her voice again, noticing it had become quite loud with her attempt at convincing him. "If we try to keep him here, who knows what Aragwen will do? From what's happened so far, it's obvious she's trying to lure him to her, wherever she is. What we need to do is let Hiccup lead us to her! Then we can beat her once and for all!"

Stoick continues to stare at her as if she's gone utterly mad. Then, with a groan, he asks her, "And what makes you think this will work?"

She parts her lips to answer but hesitates. _Moment of truth, I suppose. _ She tells herself. Then, bowing her head a bit, she asks, "Stoick, sir...has Hiccup ever told you about the last time he was possessed? I mean, obviously you know about it but...has he ever spoken to you in detail?"

The chief frowns in confusion. "A little. Usually he doesn't want to think about it...why?"

"Has he ever mentioned a boy named Hinrik?"

Stoick's expression becomes serious as the chilling memory returns to him. It was that first night when Hiccup woke screaming from some kind of night terror. He'd mentioned Aragwen's son, Hinrik... But what does he have to do with all of this? "Once, after he had a nightmare..."

This is a bit shocking to Astrid. So Hiccup told her about everything but not his own father? She wonders why. "Well, sir, _Hinrik_ was the ghost who took over Hiccup's body. He's the one who helped us beat her last time."

His eyes widen for a moment. "I...guess that makes sense. But why bring him up now?"

"Because..." She takes a breath. "Hinrik is still here. He wants to help us save Hiccup...and he knows how to defeat his mother. He...says if we find something called her Contract and destroy it, Aragwen will...will die."

That seems to strike a chord on him. He purses his lips, suspiciously. "I'm not saying I agree. I'm still _far_ from letting you use my child as a distraction...but what is that Contract you mentioned?"

She barely contains her hopeful smile. "Hinrik says it's like a...page from a book. All necromancers have one, that's how they're able to conjure souls and contact the other side."

He frowns in confusion. "Why would destroying that kill her?"

"Because her own soul is bound to it." Astrid reveals. It's obvious she'd done some thorough investigation of her own into this dangerous plan. She isn't about to risk Hiccup either. "To become a witch, a person has to sign their name in this 'Red Book'. They're given the page and told to protect it at all costs... Most witches would rather die before letting their Contract be destroyed because that's how they contact this... 'Dark One'."

Stoick nods, finally beginning to understand. "So all we need to do is burn up the Contract and Aragwen will die... I think we can do that."

Astrid bites her lip, a little nervous about this next part. "Except...there's one problem."

"There usually is..." He mumbles, bracing himself.

"We won't be able to just walk over to Aragwen and politely ask where she's hiding her most treasured possession that could ultimately lead to her death... _That's_ why we need Hiccup to act as a distraction."

Stoick lowers his gaze, his expression tense and worried.

"Hinrik would go on his own," She continues. "But Aragwen would be able to sense him too easily. She would stop him before he would get the chance to destroy it... But if _we_ go, _my_ presence will muffle his and it will be easier for him to sneak in." She watches Stoick's face very closely while she speaks. He's so close to allowing it... Just one more little push. "Stoick, sir...this may be the only way to save him..."

* * *

And so that night, Astrid and Stormfly hide out in the barn near Stoick's house. The viking girl lays flat on her stomach in the loft, peering out through a thin slot between the boards. With this vantage point, she'll see when Hiccup is lured out again and be able to shadow him from the sky all the way to Aragwen's hiding spot. The plan is perfect...hopefully.

_"Just relax," _Hinrik tells her. _"I've thought everything through. It'll be fine."_

_ That's what you said about the Tether too... _She points out.

He sighs in irritation and she feels him squirm. _"Are you really doubting me now? Because it's a little too late to change your mind."_

_ No...no, I trust you. It's just... _She folds her arms in front of her and leans her head in the crook of her right elbow. _I guess I'm just nervous about Hiccup... What if something does happen? _

_ "He'll be okay, Astrid." _Hinrik assures her, sounding much more confident than he feels. _"Not only does he have us working to stop Aragwen for good, he'll have his father and Thornado waiting to step in at a moment's notice. Not to mention Toothless..."_

Said dragon is currently crouched on the roof of the house, his green eyes alert and shining in the moonlight. Thanks to the dark coloration of his scales, he's nearly invisible against the night sky. And on top of that, Night Furies are renowned for their stealth, making him the perfect candidate to trail his Rider through the woods in case Astrid and Stormfly lose his trail.

And, of course, there was no way Toothless was going to sit quietly at home and hope for the best as his little human is used as live bait for a psycho witch... It was almost harder to convince _him_ than Stoick that the plan is safe!

But they've really left no holes for error. Everything _should_ go as planned... Just a few more minutes, Hinrik assures her. The lost soul is beginning to take over again. Just a few more minutes and then it's go time.

* * *

_**A/N: So I've concluded that mocha frappes from Burger King are not only the juice of gods but also very handy in generating creativity to the brain. Well, that and Adrian von Ziegler... (Particularly his song 'White Specter' for this story.)**_


	19. Blood

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

_**A/N: Holy WOW! This is the most reviews I've ever had! Thank you guys soooo much! You're all so awesome and wonderful and...and... *happy writer squeel*. I love you guys! You're what makes writing so fulfilling and worth-while! :D**_

_**In response to...**_

_Wanli8970: __**Hiccup was the one present at the time they were discussing the plan. The Dark One is nowhere near him right now because he's with Aragwen. (The Lost Soul and the Dark One are two different souls)**_

_Ninuhuju: __**Well... heh heh... *nervous smile***_

* * *

"Ughh..." Hiccup moans quietly as his eyes flutter open. The room is only dimly lit, a bit of light shining from the fireplace downstairs. He gazes at the ceiling for a moment, blinking his pale green eyes back into focus. It had taken longer than the lost soul expected to regain control over this body. Whoever this 'Hiccup' is, he's tougher than he looks. But now he's back on the reigns and it's time to get moving. He shifts as if about to sit up, when he hears a breath beside him.

Going rigid with shock, he turns his head to the side to find Stoick 'asleep' in the chair beside him. The soul tilts his head, eyeing him curiously. Something isn't right here... An ominous feeling flutters in his chest and he realizes these humans are trickier than he thought. They must have come up with some kind of plan while he was out. This man isn't asleep, he can tell. He's waiting...for something.

_Well, let's not stick around to find out. _The soul decides. He slowly sits up, his eyes never once leaving Stoick's face. As he swings his legs around onto the floor, Hiccup's metal leg gives a frightful creak that sounds a hundred times louder in the silence of the room. He grimaces. _Okay, this isn't going to work... This man is planning something and I feel like I'm falling right into his trap... _

Suddenly, an idea comes to him. His attention flickers back to the bed, where a distant memory tells him something useful is hidden. He grins darkly and leans down, slipping his hand beneath the stiff mattress...

* * *

_Aragwen opens Hiccup's vest, carefully slipping something inside it. "Keep that with you." She whispers. "It will come in handy."_

_ He nods, his expression blank as he stares off into the distance._

* * *

The lost soul smirks as he pulls his mistress's gift out of its hiding place. Leave it to her to think this far ahead. He holds up the heavy dagger in one hand, poking its razor-sharp tip with one, delicate finger until a droplet of blood wells up. _Yeah...this will do._

He chuckles silently before looking back to Stoick, a morbid expression on his face. _This will do JUST fine..._

* * *

"There he is!" Astrid gasps, immediately noticing Hiccup as soon as he runs out the front door. He's sprinting for the woods and Toothless looks at her, expectantly from his roof-top perch. She points at Hiccup and nods, telling him to follow. But she has to wait for Stoick.

The Night Fury noiselessly slinks off the roof and obediently trails after his Rider, disappearing into the forest behind him.

Astrid allows herself a little sigh of relief now that the plan has taken off. Toothless won't let them down, she knows that. So she takes a moment to settle her rapid heartbeat before sliding down from the loft and jogging to the door. She hops into Stormfly's saddle while she waits for Stoick to arrive...

Nearly a full minute goes by... Where is he? She frowns, having thought Hiccup's father would be the most eager to go after him. What's taking him so long...?

"C'mon, Stoick...we haven't got all night..." She whispers to herself, impatiently drumming her fingers on the saddle. But when another handful of seconds pass and still, no Stoick... She starts to get worried.

Stormfly flaps over to the front door, which is still hanging slightly ajar. "Stoick!" Astrid calls in a hushed voice. "Come on, we have to go!"

She gets no response.

Her chest tightens and she's about to go inside and check things out when Hinrik's voice echos through her head.

_"No, stay here and be ready to leave. I'll go see what's holding him up." _Hinrik fazes through the wall and drifts up the stairs, curious to know why Stoick isn't in a hurry to find his son... But as soon as he reaches the top step, he finds out. _"Oh no..." _He breathes.

Hearing that, Astrid can't contain herself anymore. She jumps out of the saddle and races into the house. "STOICK?!" She shouts as loud as she can. When she still receives no answer, she sprints up the stairs, her eyes growing wide with shock. "Oh gods..."

* * *

Toothless glances behind himself for the hundredth time. If he isn't mistaken, Astrid had told him she'd be following with Stormfly... And aren't Stoick and Thornado supposed to be here too? Where is everybody?

The dragon snorts in frustration and looks back at Hiccup, who is a full twenty yards ahead of him. The two of them have travelled quite a distance from the village... At this rate, it will be impossible for the others to find them. He's almost tempted to turn back and find out what has happened to his other friends but is stopped when he remembers this is _Hiccup_ he's dealing with. And protecting his human is more important right now, especially if their plan is ruined. Hiccup will need Toothless to save him if something goes wrong...

And so the Night Fury continues to stalk the possessed teen through the woods, channeling his inner predator to make sure he isn't noticed. The midnight black dragon walks on silent feet, keeping his wings folded in and his ears back so he moves through the dense brush like a shadow in the night. It's been a while since he's had a reason to be stealthy like this, not since the days when vikings and dragons were still enemies... Of course, it still comes as naturally as breathing to him.

He'll stay with Hiccup for as long as it takes, even if Astrid and Stoick never show up.

* * *

Blood. It's the first thing Astrid sees when she steps into the room. There's a small puddle of it on the floor, droplets slung against the wall, it's even smeared over an object laying on the ground.

Astrid's heart clenches when she realizes the blood stained object...is a dagger. A heavy, metal knife that she's never seen before. It's not made the same way Gobber forges his... It's not a knife from Berk.

She isn't sure why that's the first detail her mind decides to take in... Especially since Stoick is right there, struggling to get to his feet, his hand gripping a spot on his shoulder that is absolutely drenched in crimson.

_"Oh gods..." _Hinrik whispers again, horror plain in his voice. He's seen a lot of stab wounds in his time...and this is a bad one. _"It was the lost soul...he did this."_

"Stoick...!" Astrid gasps as she races across the room to his side. "Are you okay?! What happened?!"

He looks dazed, like he can't quite believe this is really happening. "H-Hiccup..." He stammers. "Hiccup is..."

_"Tell him." _Hinrik urges her, suddenly. _"Tell him it wasn't Hiccup who stabbed him!"_

"It wasn't Hiccup!" She obediently says. "He's possessed, it wasn't him!"

Stoick's eyes come back into focus and he scowls. "I know that!" He growls, finally managing to stand upright. "Hiccup is g-gone!" He grabs her shoulder and shoves her toward the door. "We have to go after him!"

"But sir...you're hurt..."

"This is nothing!" He scoffs, despite his pale skin and shaken words. "I've had much worse. Now nevermind me," He barges after her. "Let's go find my son!"


	20. Austri

_**Chapter Twenty**_

_**A/N: New semesters are such a hassle. Ugh. Thankfully, writing is a great escape! Enjoy :) Lots more reveals in this one as well...**_

_**Also, ANGST WARNING! ANGST WARNING! Much angst lies ahead! You have been warned.**_

* * *

_Hiccup... _Toothless quietly whines and glances over his shoulder again. Where are they?! Where are Stoick and Astrid?! He switches his gaze back to the clearing, where Hiccup is slowly trudging toward the edge of a lake. The anxious Night Fury is still hidden, unable to follow his Rider out into the open of the meadow for fear of being discovered. What is he supposed to do now? He can't let Aragwen know he's here or she might do something awful to Hiccup! But if he stays hidden, his little human will be all alone again, helpless to defend himself against the witch's powers...

For once in his life, Toothless feels totally at a loss for how to protect his best friend...

* * *

For a moment, the lost soul stands at the mouth of the cave, shifting his weight back and forth between his legs. He can feel a sinister aura radiating from within the cave, one that sends chills down his host's spine. It isn't so much that he _himself_ is afraid to enter...it's this body. It instinctively doesn't want to go any further, sensing the danger that lies within.

But then, he feels a familiar tug in his chest and a ghostly voice whispers in his ears. _"We don't have much time," _Aragwen reminds him. _"Get the boy under control and get in here."_

_Of course, Aragwen. _He responds stiffly. Then, with a small breath, he lifts his metal leg and takes the first step into the dank cave...

* * *

_Dad... _It's all Hiccup can think about as he's dragged into Aragwen's lair. _Oh gods...Dad...I'm so so sorry... _He can still feel the way his own fingers betrayed him, having wrapped around the handle of the dagger without his permission. He shivers at the memory of driving the weapon into his father's stomach... Oh gods... He feels sick. He just...he just _stabbed_ his own father! _Dad...please...you have to know it wasn't me...! It wasn't me..._

He weakly pushes against his captor's hold, knowing it won't break or even bend a little. But he has to try. He vaguely knows that he's being taken to his death, to the ritual that will make him the Dark One's Tether...but he can't bring himself to be afraid. No matter how hard he tries, or how much he thinks about it...his heart just isn't in it.

Ever since first making the mistake of accepting Aragwen's gift, he's been nothing but a nuisance for those he loves. Putting his friends and family in danger over and over... Maybe... Maybe it's better this way. Aragwen will get what she wants and leave everyone alone. He doesn't doubt that. She wouldn't waste her time on his friends as long as they stay away. And sure...he'll be forever trapped within his own mind, unable to control his body...but...for some reason, the idea just isn't as scary as it used to be.

The lost soul blinks as he steps out of the dark, wet corridor and into the glowing light of the chamber. Aragwen turns to face him, offering a polite smile.

"You've done well." She says in a tender voice. "Thank you for all your hard work."

He nods is response, still no relinquishing his hold on Hiccup. "It wasn't so hard. He's stubborn but I've had worse."

That earns another smirk from the witch. "Perhaps I over-estimated him..." She motions to a little, rickety chair placed in the center of the chamber. There are odd chalk scrawlings along the floor around it. "Have a seat and then you may go."

He obediently strolls toward it and sits down, gazing at the spell circle that surrounds him. "So...you're really going to do it, then? You're going to make this kid Austri's new host...?"

At the mention of her lover's name, Aragwen visibly flinches. However, when she turns to face him, her expression is serene, unreadable. "Yes."

He frowns. "But why? He's only a kid..."

"I don't care." She mumbles. "I just...I just need to _see_ him...alive again. To hear his voice. It doesn't matter to me if he's stored in a child's body. The eyes will be enough for me..."

The lost soul can feel Hiccup squirm. He's confused... But then again, so is the lost soul. "I thought you meant to keep him here... But the way you're talking, it's like you only want to see him for a little while..."

She slowly nods, a sad glint in her eyes. "I've done my research." She assures him, spinning away to look over her books, which are piled high on various tables. Her dainty, lily-white hands brush over the pages. "Sadly, this process will be rather...draining for poor little Hiccup." A tiny, dark smile touches her lips. "With a vessel as physically weak as he is, Austri won't be able to remain here for more than a few minutes. Even using a body in top condition, he would only live for a maximum of a half an hour."

The soul hesitates. "And after that?"

She smirks. "The stress on his body will become too much." She tells him in a clipped, factual voice. "His organs will shut down and eventually, his body will give out."

Inside his head, Hiccup is fighting again. Something about what she said struck a nerve. He feels adrenaline coursing through his veins and his heart is pumping. Not only is he going to become a vessel for the Dark One, or _Austri_ apparently, he's going to die afterward.

Hiccup swallows, feeling terror burn in his chest. He remembers Hinrik's words to him that day in the woods...

_"I don't know how much I'll be able to do...but there is something I want to try."_

Grinding his teeth together in concentration, Hiccup calls out to his friend, unsure if he can even hear him. _Hinrik...if you're there...please do something! I can't move...she's going to kill me!_

* * *

Only a quarter of a mile away, Astrid and Stoick are closing in on Hiccup's trail. Thornado's nose is only an inch above the ground as he tracks his Rider's child's scent. He's close.

Stoick contains his pained grunts and hisses, his hand clamped over his oozing wound. He's had much worse in his days of dragon killing, _much_ worse. But that doesn't mean getting stabbed still doesn't hurt. A lot. But right now, he's got more important things to think about. Namely, finding Hiccup and stopping him from getting to Aragwen.

They're just creeping through a particularly dense area of trees when Astrid feels Hinrik stiffen, if that's possible for a ghost... _What? What's wrong? _She asks.

When he finally speaks, Hinrik's voice is trembling. _"That was Hiccup..." _He whispers. _"We need to hurry...he's in danger!"_

* * *

_**A/N: Ta da! Kind of a lame chapter actually...but it was the most I could do with all the craziness of mid terms and a new semester etc etc... But anyway, leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for everything guys!**_


	21. Buying Time

_**Chapter Twenty-One**_

_**A/N: Oh my god, guys! OH MY GOD! You are (metaphorically) looking at a very happy girl right now! A really good friend of mine who left school three years ago just came back today! I AM SO EXCITED! AHHHHHH! XD Sorry. I felt the need to share that!**_

_**Anyway...enjoy the chapter. XD**_

_**Keeping you on track with our progress, we're about 60% through now! The climax is on its way! **_

* * *

The lost soul stares at Aragwen in confusion. He knows this woman's story and it perplexes him why she would go to all this trouble just to reanimate Austri for a few minutes... With all of her knowledge and power, he would have imagined she'd find a permanent solution. But maybe some things really _are_ impossible. With a shrug, he loosens his grip on Hiccup.

"Well, I'll get out of your way now. Good luck, Aragwen."

She nods without looking up. He can feel her distress and confliction. "Thank you." She whispers.

And with that, the invader soul is gone. Hiccup gasps as all the feeling in his body rushes back to him, like a hundred muscle cramps at once. He yelps, his head snapping back. But despite all this...he can't keep himself from asking the question that he'd been burning to know the answer to this whole time. "Why...?!" He breathes out, already feeling drained and tired from this whole ordeal.

Only then does Aragwen turn to face him. "Ah, Hiccup. So nice to see you again."

He glowers at her and asks the question again, "Why are you doing this? Who exactly is this 'Austri'?" He still doesn't know. He has no idea who he's dealing with, even now.

She smirks at him, almost apologetically. "Oh, where are my manners? Austri is who you know as the 'Dark One'." She snickers at the title. "He is the entity I serve."

Hiccup snorts, trying desperately to get some control back over his limbs which now feel dead and heavy to him. "I figured that much out already." He mumbles, even his lips feeling clumsy from the numbness. "But who is he to _you_? You obviously know him somehow..."

Aragwen shakes her head at him and plants her hands on her hips. "You're observant, I'll give you that." Then, her expression takes on a softer look. "Yes, I knew him when he was alive..."

Hiccup is only really half listening now. There are pins and needles in his fingers as the feeling comes back. Maybe if he keeps her talking, he'll be able to escape.

"Austri was a childhood friend of mine," She continues, turning back to her table to gather the necessary instruments for the job. She obviously doesn't intend on wasting too much more time. "We grew up together..." And then she pauses, glancing back at the semi paralyzed boy behind her. "Sort of like you and that girl, Astrid."

Hiccup recoils a little at that comparison. Not only is it disturbing to think that that makes Hiccup the Dark One's equivalent in this sense... but why compare their relationship with Aragwen and Austri's...? It's pretty obvious that Hiccup and Astrid are a little more than just childhood friends and he grew up with more than just her. There are plenty of other girls on Berk so... Only then does it click in his mind and Hiccup's eyes grow wide.

Aragwen chuckles at the look of realization on his face. "That's right." She purrs. "Austri and I eventually fell in love. Although it was anything but an easy love..."

* * *

"Toothless!" Astrid gasps at the sight of her friend's Night Fury. He is hidden among some wild brush, a desperate look on his face. He jumps to his feet and races over to meet her and Stoick. The dragon whimpers pitifully, his ears folded back in clear distress. "Toothless, where is Hiccup?" She asks him. "Where did he go?"

Taking that as permission to leave his hiding place, Toothless bolts out into the open and toward the lake, where he saw his Rider disappear into a cave...

* * *

Seemingly out of nowhere, Aragwen stops talking. Her eyes narrow and she curses under her breath in a language Hiccup doesn't understand. _His friends are here... _She realizes, sensing their presences approaching the cave. _I'll have to do something to keep them busy for a while._

Hiccup watches her in confusion. Why had she suddenly stopped talking? But then, his thoughts are redirected again by a familiar voice in his head.

_"Hiccup! Can you hear me?"_

He tries not to gasp in shock and relief. _Hinrik! Oh thank gods... I could use some help here. I can't move..._

_ "I know. Your father, Astrid and Toothless are here to help as well. We have a plan but you're going to need to stay alive for a few more minutes. Are you in any immediate danger?"_

He tries to look casual when he switches his gaze back to Aragwen, who is still not talking and, instead, is seemingly busy flipping through the pages of a thick, ancient-looking book. _I don't think so... She's looking in some kind book..._

_ "A book...?" _Hinrik sounds taken aback by that. _"That's strange...she doesn't need any kind of incantation or words for this ritual...so why would she...?" _But just then, he seems to figure it out. _"Uh oh..."_

_ What? What's wrong? _Hiccup asks, struggling to keep his expression unreadable so Aragwen doesn't know he's talking with her son.

Hinrik's voice is hurried and urgent when he says, _"Listen close, Hiccup. She's going to try to block us out. She must have figured out your friends are here somehow."_

_ Block you out? How?_

_ "No time to explain! Just listen, I'm going need to get in there without her noticing me and right now, I can't take Astrid in or risk getting her stuck inside without a way out."_

_ What do I need to do?! _He demands, not liking the sound of all this.

_"As much as I hate to say it, there's nothing you can do except distract her somehow. All we'll need is five minutes. Just buy us five minutes and we'll be able to get you out." _He explains. _"Do you think you can do that?"_

Hiccup nods, despite himself. He looks at Aragwen, who is now mumbling some odd, foreign words under her breath and making strange motions with her hand. It feels like electricity is rippling through the air and he shivers. _Yeah, I can do that. Just please, be careful with them..._

_ "I'll protect them. Just keep the door open for us!"_

It doesn't take much thought for him to figure out how to distract her. "So," He begins, quietly. "Austri was your...lover, then. Am I right?"

At first, she doesn't seem to notice he had spoken. But then, she trips over her words and shoots him a hateful glare. "I'll get to you in a minute." She hisses, clearly frustrated. "Be quiet."

Frowning, he tries to lift his arm. It only twitches a bit. Five minutes, huh? He just has to buy them five minutes... It suddenly seems like a much longer time than before. But he can't move so words are his only option. Luckily for Hiccup, he'd always had a 'way with words', the kind of way that can easily make adults feel...uncomfortable.

"But you said it wasn't an easy love," He continues, despite her angry reaction earlier. "So what happened? Didn't he love you back...?"

She growls at him but continues with her incantation, obviously determined to put up whatever 'door' Hinrik had mentioned.

"Or maybe it was you who didn't love him...?"

Mid-word, Aragwen seems to snap. She whips around to face him, a furious gleam in her eyes as she charges over to him. "_You keep your mouth shut!_" She shouts, fiercely. "Or I'll shut it for you..."

Hiccup fights the urge to cringe away and meets her angry gaze at eye level. He forces an arrogant grin. "Oh-ho, struck a nerve there, huh?" It's very hard to act confident when you have a psychopathic witch screaming in your face but somehow, Hiccup manages to keep a level voice when he says, "So what happened to him? He's dead now. How'd poor ol' lover boy kick the bucket?"

Hate. That's what he sees when he looks into the witch's eyes. Hate and blood lust. Without really intending to...he's clearly pushed a very sensitive button. And within a fraction of a second, he's wishing he never opened his big, dumb mouth.

"_I'm going to kill you, you brat._" She whispers close to his ear, her voice gravely with the threat. "_Even your friends are too late to save you now..._"

Without Hiccup having noticed, Aragwen had picked up a stick of chalk off the table. She now presses it against the skin of his limp forearm, a sadistic smile curling her lips. As soon as the utensil touches him, Hiccup hisses in pain. The spell circle around him begins to glow a faint light as she draws the first mark...

* * *

_**A/N: So yeah, the ending was probably confusing. All will be explained soon enough! :D**_


	22. Blood Night

_**Chapter Twenty-Two**_

_**A/N: In response to...**_

_Wanli8970: __**Depends on what you mean by 'possessed moments'. If you mean inner conversations, I'm not sure yet. Details like that I just come up with while writing... **_

_Ninuhuju: __**I'm glad you're wondering that! I put 'suggestive ideas' into the chapter for that exact reason! XD It's very thought-provoking if you ask me.**_

_**Ugh. Writer's block, you are the BANE of my existance!**_

* * *

A scolding pain courses through Hiccup's arm as Aragwen draws the first mark. Her chalk leaves a fine, white line running up his vulnerable forearm like lava down the side of a volcano. He hisses in pain, staring in immense confusion as the skin around the site of the mark begins to blister and burn. What is happening...? Why would chalk burn this much...?

Aragwen removes her writing utensil and gazes dreamily down at her handiwork. Her grin grows wider and she looks up into Hiccup's eyes. Already, she can see them beginning to cloud over as the pain registers to him. With a gentle finger, she touches his bubbling, painful skin. The boy gasps and his face contorts in agony. She nods, it's working. The poison has begun moving through his veins.

Satisfied, she lowers the chalk back down, picking up where she left off at the crook of his elbow. The spell circle radiates a hot, blue light that licks the walls like fire and throws insane shadows into the connecting tunnel.

Hiccup's head spins as she draws the next mark, starting at his elbow and moving up to his right shoulder. His stomach knots up and the burning sensation is worse than before. He watches his skin literally sizzle, the morbid fascination nearly distracting him from the incredible pain. But not quite.

He grinds his teeth together, not wanting to scream. But it does little to muffle his cries, making them come out as strangled groans instead. He squeezes his eyes shut, silently begging himself to stay awake. Because somehow, he knows... He knows if he passes out, it's all over.

He'll never wake up again.

* * *

_Hinrik, what's going on?! Talk to me! _Astrid tries again, nearly screaming in her head at this point. _What's happening with Hiccup?! _She, Stoick and Toothless stand at the mouth of the cave, marveling at the rippling air that cuts them off from Aragwen's chamber. Like sparks of light dancing on an invisible wall. It had appeared only moments ago and stopped them in their tracks. Hinrik warned them not to touch it, that it was some kind of barrier his mother put up to stop them from saving Hiccup. He'd told them he would try to get through and get to Hiccup...

After that, he just disappeared.

_HINRIK! _She shouts, desperately. Her panic only increasing at the sound of screams off in the distance. She doesn't want to admit it but...they sound an awful lot like Hiccup... Why won't Hinrik answer?! Where is he?!

* * *

Forcing his way through his mother's barrier had been draining. Now, Hinrik's world spins in front of him. He moves through the dark tunnel feeling like he's trudging through quicksand, like earth's gravity is pushing him backwards instead of down.

But he can see it now. The light at the end of the tunnel. His mother's ritual chamber is so close..._Hiccup _is so close... He can't stop now. He can't.

_"Hiccup..." _He calls out with as much strength as he can manage. _"Hiccup? Can you hear me...?"_

But he recieves no answer. Nothing but more screams from his poor friend. Is it possible that he's already...? No. No! He shuts those thoughts out before they can even be formed. Hiccup is strong. He won't give up either. He promised he'd survive for five minutes...

It hasn't been five minutes yet.

Please hang on.

Just a little longer...

* * *

Toothless shrieks in fury, pounding his clawed feet into the rock below him. He wants to go after Hiccup now! Why won't Stoick and Astrid let him?! Every time he tries to run, Stormfly jumps in his path and hisses. Astrid and Stoick assure him they're working on a way through but they're not doing anything! They're just standing there waiting for someone they keep referring to as, 'Hinrik'. But Toothless doesn't want to wait for this person. He wants, _NEEDS_, to find his friend!

A dragon's hearing is hundreds of times better than that of a human. So the Night Fury's ears ring with the desperate cries of his human. He can hear every agonized yelp, every struggling breath, every choked groan... He can hear it all. And each time it sends horrible shivers down the poor creature's spine.

He's desperate to reach Hiccup. But his friend, even his own _father_, seems reluctant to go for him now...

WHY?! Toothless doesn't understand.

He's dancing on skittish feet, whimpering and whining like a kicked puppy each time Hiccup screams. Everything is moving so fast and so _so_ slow all at once. What is he supposed to do?!

"Toothless,"

The dragon looks up with wiry, fearful eyes. It's Stoick's voice. He sounds...calm. The Night Fury whimpers at him, asking the silent question that's been burning inside him.

Hiccup's father doesn't smile and assure him his friend is fine. He doesn't pet him and tell him to relax. He doesn't do either of these things. Instead, Stoick frowns. His brow is knotted in so many twisting, contorting emotions. But instead of panicking and yelling in rage, he kneels down beside his son's dragon. He places a gentle hand on the creature's head, feeling oddly similar to how Hiccup had done so many times before...

And maybe it's the lighting...or Toothless's eyes playing tricks on him...but right now, Stoick's green eyes are looking very, very like his boy's. Strong but warm. A comforting, familiar shade of emerald that somehow settles the anxious dragon's throbbing heart.

"Whining won't change anything." Stoick tells him. "We're doing all we can. For now, we just need to rely on Hiccup and believe he'll survive until we get there."

* * *

Hinrik stops pulling his tired soul through the corridor just as he reaches the entrance to the chamber. What he sees inside...is something he had hoped he would never see.

Hiccup is slumped over in his chair, head dangling against his chest. The boy's skin is marked up with chalk etchings in the morbid shapes of skulls and foriegn words. The seal drawn on the floor around him still glows dully, like smoking embers in a dying fireplace.

Aragwen is standing only a few feet away, smiling sadly at him. She looks up when her son enters the room, not seeing him but feeling him.

"Ah, Hinrik." She whispers, gently. "I was hoping you'd arrive soon. You were almost too late."

He hesitates. _"Late for what?"_

At the sound of his voice, Hiccup's body stirs. His eyes flutter open and he turns to face where the other soul drifts.

Hinrik can only stare in numb, shocked terror.

The other boy offers a childlike, innocent grin. His eyes gleaming a dead, pale grey. **"You kept me waiting...son."**


	23. Family Reunion

_**Chapter Twenty-Three**_

_**A/N: Either a very interesting, enlightening chapter...or a very boring one. Just throwing it out there. Be ready for either.**_

_**Also rather corny...I don't know. I have writer's block. **_

_**Sorry for the wait guys, I couldn't get finished last night so I had spend a few hours this morning writing.**_

"Normal speech"

_Thoughts_

_"Hinrik speech"_

**"Austri speech"**

* * *

If Hinrik had a body, he would be shivering. He stares at Hiccup in complete bewilderment. No... It can't be true. He couldn't have been too late... And yet, there he is. Hiccup is now slowly getting to his feet, obviously testing his clumsy limbs while he leans on the arm of the chair. He smiles gratefully at Aragwen when she takes his arm and helps him stand.

It disgusts Hinrik to see his horrid mother so close to Hiccup. But then again, he's not really _Hiccup_ anymore, is he...? And right now, he doesn't exactly care about his mother or the Dark One or anything like that. He'll figure all of that out later.

Right now, Hiccup needs his help. He can see the muted fear in his friend's eyes, the way his body seems a little to stiff to be normal. The Dark One may have control now, but Hiccup isn't gone. He's in there somewhere. And he's fighting.

Hinrik just has to find him.

And fast, by the looks of things. He recognizes those symbols drawn on the other boy's arms. The beginning stages of a Tether ritual, meant to weaken a host's body and make them lose consciousness. He scowls at the all-to-familiar etchings and growls in fury. Things will only get worse the longer they remain, time is not Hiccup's friend right now.

_"Aragwen," _Hinrik hisses, being sure not to call her mother anymore... _"What have you done? What have you done to Hiccup?!" _

She only looks at him, an impassive, uncaring look on her face before turning back to 'Hiccup'. She still holds onto his arm, even once he's standing upright and steady. And the worst part is...he doesn't seem to mind.

Instead, the Dark One forces another smile onto Hiccup's lips. When he speaks again, Hinrik shudders. It's such an eerie sound. **"Hinrik, my boy..." **He gazes at him as if he's some kind of treasure, like a priceless jewel or a chest full of gold. **"My gods, son..."**

Of course, this is _not _what Hinrik had imagined what the ultimate-evil Dark One would be like in their first encounter... And the way he keeps saying 'son'... He's starting to think it's not meant to be a casual term of endearment.

But surely...surely he couldn't be...

The Dark One smiles at him, recognizing the look of confusion on the boy's face. **"That's right, Hinrik." **He whispers, gently. **"You're my son."**

* * *

"Sir..." Astrid mutters, staring at the strange barrier that cuts them off from the rest of the cave. "As much as I hate to say it, I don't think Hinrik can hear me anymore..."

Stoick -who is standing so close to the barrier Astrid fears that if he sways the wrong way he'll end up touching it- grimaces at her words. "You're sure?"

She tries once more to reach him, desperately pleading for a response. She gets no answer from him. "I'm sure."

Hearing this, Toothless whimpers again. He paws at the ground in frustration and feverishly glances back and forth between his friends. They have to do something now. If Hinrik isn't coming back, they have no choice!

And that's exactly what Stoick decides as well. "Alright." He says, firmly. "Let's try to break this barrier down." He jabs a finger at the strange sheen of rippling light and turns to Toothless. "Plasma blast!"

Without hesitation, the Night Fury lets loose an ear-piercing shriek and a bolt of vibrant light that slams into the barrier, shedding yellow sparks into the air around them...

The transparent wall bends a little, flexing inward...then reforming to its original shape. It hisses with heat and flecks of fire still linger on its surface. But it doesn't break down.

They'll need more than a single plasma blast to get in.

This is going to take some time.

* * *

_His son...? I'm...his SON? _

The Dark One chuckles a bit at Hinrik's expression. **"What's wrong? I would have thought you'd be excited to finally know who your father is..." **He smirks and takes a step forward, seeming to have gotten the hang of using Hiccup's body. **"Your mother never told you, did she?"**

Feeling numb, he slowly shakes his head. _So it's true..._

He sighs and turns to Aragwen, clicking his tongue. **"What were you thinking, Aragwen? Look, now I've gone and shocked the poor kid!" **Despite his words, Austri's tone is light-hearted and almost...happy.

"I'm sorry, Austri." She says, not minding one bit how upset her son seems. She only has eyes for Austri now. "I didn't think it would be wise..."

**"Hmm, well I don't know why you'd think that." **He shrugs. **"But I trust your judgement so..." **He cracks a buck-toothed grin. **"Sorry for spoiling the surprise, I guess."**

Hinrik watches them talk. Like a two-year-old stricken with awe. What is happening right now? The Dark One...or _Austri_...doesn't seem so bad... But...Austri? The Dark One's name is Austri and he's his father? So...

Hinrik purses his lips and stares at them. Does he know?

Does Austri even know what his beloved Aragwen has been doing?

Hinrik decides to ask... He parts his transparent lips. _"Austri,"_ And the Dark One shifts his gaze back to his son. _"There's something I need to-"_

But just at that moment, there's a terrible sound at the other end of the cave. Like a huge sheet of glass shattering onto the stony floor. And after that, all three of them hear the distinctive sound...of a Night Fury.

Aragwen's eyes widen. She'd forgotten all about her barrier. She'd been so distracted... "Those filthy wretches!" She snarls. But before she can do _anything_ about it, Toothless, Stoick and Astrid have sprinted into the chamber, axes and swords at the ready.

"ARAGWEN!" Stoick booms, furiously. His eyes are shining with a fury no one has ever seen before. His hands practically shaking with the lust for her blood. "WHERE IS MY SON?!"

'Hiccup' had been standing so quietly and still beside his father that Stoick hadn't noticed his presence. That is, until he speaks. **"Oh, so this is Hiccup's father, is it?" **Austri asks, eyeing him up. **"I can't say I see the resemblance..."**

Stoick wheels around and stares at him, about to demand who else is here... But that's when he notices. His eyes go so wide it could have been comical in other circumstances. "H-Hiccup...?"

Astrid quietly gasps at the sight of him. Eyes grey, skin pale, covered in chalk markings... Oh, Hiccup... What happened to him?

But Austri only sighs, not surprised in the least by their confusion or sorrowful expressions. **"Sorry," **He says. **"But I can't have you ruining the 'family reunion' so soon..." **With that, he lifts his hand and the spell circle begins to glow once more. Hiccup's eyes flare a brilliant shade of silver...

And suddenly Stoick, Astrid and Toothless can't move.

They've been paralyzed by the Dark One's power...

* * *

_**A/N: Again, sorry for the wait! I hope you liked it! (Climax is very, very close!)**_


	24. Broken Promise

_**Chapter Twenty-Four**_

_**A/N: Climax time! :DDD **_

_**Pretty emotional and total corn. Enjoy! XD**_

_**About 80% done!**_

* * *

Astrid swears under her breath as she struggles to move her paralyzed limbs. But it's no use. She's completely frozen in place! And by the looks of things, so are Stoick and Toothless. Both of them growl in fury and exertion as they try to move, only to find themselves totally incapable of even opening their mouths.

Meanwhile, Hinrik is doing nothing to help them. Astrid senses him only a few feet away. Why isn't he doing something?! _HINRIK! _She screams in her mind. _HELP US GET FREE!_

But he hesitates. He wants to help them, to help _Hiccup_. Because, surely, his time in this world is running out. But... _"I'm sorry Astrid." _He breathes, reluctantly. _"I'll help you get free soon but... There's something I need to ask him."_

_ WHAT?! _She barks. _HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! _

_ "Trust me," _He suddenly says. _"If I'm right about this, all our troubles will be over... Just let me talk."_

And now everyone's focus is on Hinrik. Well, everyone but Stoick and Toothless, who only have eyes for the stolen body of their loved one. They are still struggling, but to no avail...

**"What is it that you want to ask me?" **Asks Austri, passing a quizzical look to Aragwen. Does she know about this? But by the look on her face, she's just as curious as he is. She has no clue what her son is about to say...

_"Dark One- I mean...father..." _

Hiccup's head inclines, acknowledging his words.

_"Normally, I would never even think of speaking to you like this. You and 'mother' have been the bane of my existence for years. Under normal circumstances, I burn up her Contract to you and be done with it!"_

Hearing that, Aragwen gasps in anger. How dare he speak such treachery?!

Hinrik ignores her, though. _"But I think I deserve an answer, considering all I've been put through..."_

Hiccup's brow is knotted in the center, a look of obvious confusion on his young face. There's a glimmer of thought in his slivery-green eyes, his mouth screwed into a calculating scowl. Could he really not know...? Could Aragwen really not have told him...?

**"Ask your question, Hinrik." **

_"Father," _He says slowly, as if tasting the word. _"Do you know how I died?"_

* * *

Aragwen's blue eyes widen, her body going rigid for a moment as if it had been _her_ who had been frozen by Austri's power. Her face pales at Hinrik's words. _No...! _She silently screams, her gaze darting to Austri's face.

He's already looking at her, wearing suspicious expression. Deep in his eyes, there's a dreadful gleam. He hopes it isn't true... Please, let it not be true... Without looking away from her, he asks, **"How did you die, Hinrik?"**

His ghostly son is watching Aragwen's face very closely. It's like he's challenging her to try and stop him. And by the anxious way she shifts her weight, Austri can tell she _wants _to try... What on earth is going on here? Could she really have...?

Hinrik takes a breath and levels his gaze with his father's. _"I died when I was ten." _He tells him. _"Because _she _killed me." _He hisses, jabbing a finger directly at Aragnwen. _"And after that, she reanimated me into another body and then killed me again. She called it a game... She enjoyed it!" _Hinrik continues, his voice almost at shouting volume now. _"She killed me over and over and over again! Each time stealing another innocent person's life! She said...she said she was doing it for YOU!" _He cries, furiously. _"The body you're in RIGHT NOW is a result of all that! HICCUP is the reason I'm free now! If he hadn't convinced me to betray her, I'd STILL be her mindless slave!" _Hinrik lowers his voice again, struggling to regain his shaken composure. He doesn't want to lose his temper more than he already has. The past has proved that can dangerous... _"So tell me, Father." _He nearly whispers. _"Did you know about this? Are you really as horrible as I thought you were?"_

_"Or were you being fooled as much as I was?"_

Slowly, Austri removes Hiccup's arm from Aragwen's grip. He hears her whimper in fear but doesn't care anymore. **"Is this true...Aragwen...?" **He asks in a low voice.

"A-Austri...I can explain...I just..." She stammers, clearly unsure of where to go with this. "I just...wanted to see you...so badly... Hinrik was the only way to reach you... He's your son so I thought-"

**"HE'S **_**OUR**_** SON, ARAGNWEN!" **Austri booms, whipping around to face her.

She gasps and stumbles away, shivering at the terrifying glow in his eyes, along with the way the ground trembles beneath him. As if the earth itself is scared of his rage.

Without warning, Austri grabs her shoulder with one hand. But that one hand has a grip like iron and she can't pull free. **"YOU KILLED **_**OUR**_** SON!" **He screams. **"YOU SACRIFICED HIM JUST SO YOU COULD SEE ME AGAIN?!"**

She nods pitifully, still weakly fighting his grip. "I-I just...wanted to..."

**"You broke your promise, Aragwen..." **He whispers. **"You swore to me you'd care for our child, even after I was gone... You said you could handle it... But you lied. If I knew... If I'd known, I never would have left Hinrik in your hands..."**

"AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I HAD TO LIE!" She suddenly yanks her hand free and gets in his face. "IF I HADN'T, YOU'D HAVE SENT HIM AWAY! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!"

**"WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?! YOU COULD HAVE JUST-"**

"Because he's _yours_!" She growls. "Because he's so much like _you_ that it was frightening..." Her voice softens again and her eyes shimmer with tears. "You left me... You left me alone... You broke your promise too, remember? You said you'd never leave me...but you did."

Austri pulls away, hurt screwed onto his face. **"You know I didn't mean to-"**

"I loved you..." She whispers so quiet he isn't sure he actually heard her right. "I loved you so much...and you left me alone...me _and _our child!"

Austri grimaces, clearly feeling torn and regretful. He hadn't meant to... Aragwen must surely know he didn't mean it.

"You know they made me chief...?" She asks, cracking a sorrowful smile. "Even after everything they said, how women can't be leaders...even your father...they agreed to let me be chief until Hinrik was old enough to take over..." She laughs a little hysterically, combing her trembling fingers through her hair. "So...on top of your death and raising our child...I had an entire island to lead."

**"Aragwen..." **Austri mutters.

"I couldn't do it..." She continues, ignoring him for now. "Maybe I was just weak...but I...I couldn't do it anymore. I _needed_ you back, Austri. I missed you..._so much_. So...so I..." She glances over at where her son is lingering. "So I studied long and hard...until I knew what I was doing." She throws a careless gesture to Hinrik and says, "And then I killed him. I used what I had learned and trapped his spirit, knowing you would come to find him. And you _did _come, just as I'd hoped... But you couldn't stay and soon, you left again. And then I was alone once more." Suddenly, the witch's lips curl into a sad grin. "So...I brought Hinrik back in the body of another boy from our village and killed him. Then you returned, sensing your son's spirit all over again. But again you had to leave... And so the Games started over. It all went so well...until we got here. Until Hinrik met Hiccup... He ruined everything!" She cries, tears actually pouring down her cheeks now. "He ruined everything..." She repeats, sobbing hard.

Austri grimaces, his breaths hitched slightly from the threat conflicted, sorrowful, angry tears. She betrayed him. But...she just seems so broken. So sad. So, with a resigned sigh, he looks over to where Astrid and Stoick are paralyzed. Holding out a hand, he yanks the knife from the younger viking's waistband...

**"Aragwen, my love...?"**

She doesn't respond. Only continues sobbing, her arms folded over her chest, her head bowed.

He holds out a gentle hand and touches her cheek. His frown deepens when he notices how small his new hand is... This boy is so young. Probably not much younger than Hinrik. _This boy saved my son... _Closing his eyes, he tries to forget about that for now. **"Aragwen...I'm sorry." **He whispers, causing her to finally look up. **"You're right. I abandoned you...and I'm so sorry."**

She notices the knife in his other hand and sends him a questioning look.

**"I love you, I really do. I can't imagine how hard it must have been... But...you **_**killed**_** our son. You've lost your mind...and I'm so...so sorry but... I can't let you get away with that."**

Her eyes widen in fear.

His voice is so gentle, so affectionate, when he says, **"You can come with me when I go back. That way, we'll never be apart again."** And with that, he sinks the blade into her stomach and slowly lowers her to the floor, watching with an unreadable expression as she bleeds out.

* * *

_**A/N: Wow...that went quicker than I thought it would. ONE chapter to do all that. Sheesh. Anyway, we're not quite done yet. Stick around for the concluding chapters. (Probably two or three to go.)**_


	25. Hiccup

_**Chapter Twenty-Five**_

_**A/N: A more Hiccup/family-centric chapter. Because we haven't had enough of that lately! My fluff status is no longer at sufficient level... XD**_

* * *

_Austri... _Aragwen sighs in relief, her eyes fluttering shut. She marvels at the feeling of her limbs becoming numb, her mind clouding over. She should be mad... Austri..._her_ Austri...has just killed her... But... She never was able to stay mad at him for very long. And as the last of her thoughts finally fade away into darkness, her lips are tugged into the smallest of smiles.

* * *

Everyone feels frozen. Even Stoick and Toothless have stopped struggling long enough to stare as their worst enemy sinks to the ground, a knife buried in her stomach.

Austri's breaths falter for a moment, his knees feeling weak. He attempts to disguise it by kneeling beside her. He gazes at his love's pale face and brushes a hand across her cheek, closing his eyes.

_"Father..." _Hinrik whispers, his voice sounding tight.

**"I'm sorry, Hinrik." **He replies, softly. **"For everything. It wasn't fair what you had to go through and I can't apologize enough."**

His son only stands behind him, his arms folded over his chest, an oddly sad expression on his face. _"It's okay..." _He assures him. _"I don't blame you..."_

Austri nods, finally drawing his hand away from Aragwen's cheek. Already, her skin is going cold. **"You're a good boy, Hinrik. And, for what it's worth, I'm proud of you." **With that, he stands back up and casts a tiny smile to him. **"But there is one more thing I need to ask of you...just one more thing."**

_"What is it?" _Hinrik wonders.

**"I want you to destroy the Contract." **He says. **"If you don't, a part of her soul will remain on earth...and that means she'll always have a chance of coming back here and haunting you even further."**

Astrid shivers at the thought of her returning again. But there's something else that's even more disturbing to her at the moment... Austri is still in Hiccup's body. And Hiccup doesn't seem to fighting back... What is he doing? Is he really...gone?

_"I will, Father. That's what we were planning to do in the first place."_

**"Good." **Austri nods and glances back to Aragwen. **"Then...I suppose it's time for me to go. I wouldn't want to keep her waiting any longer than I already have." **He smirks a little and shakes his head. Then, lifting up one of Hiccup's hands, he frowns. **"Stoick, is it?" **

Stoick tenses, his expression drifting between one of anger and suspicion. "Yes."

**"Hiccup is still alive, for now, but his body is growing weak. Take care of him, Stoick...you don't want to know what it's like to lose your child." **And with that, he shuts his eyes once more. There's a pulse of energy in the cave, like static electricity in the air, a wave of cold wind...

And then Hiccup's knees buckle and he sinks to the floor with a weak moan.

* * *

All the feeling stabs back through Stoick's limbs as soon as Austri is gone. He and Astrid double over, the breath knocked out of them at the sudden rush of feeling. Toothless whines in pain and flops onto his belly while Astrid grinds her teeth together and kneels on the floor, trying to even her sporadic breaths.

But Stoick remains standing, his eyes locked on his son. "Hiccup..." He gasps, staggering forward to reach him. He flops onto the floor beside the unconscious boy and gently scoops him into his arms, turning him back over so his face is upright once again. "Son..." He whispers sorrowfully, noting the pale coolness of his skin and the dark shadows under his eyes.

Astrid clutches her aching ribcage and looks up, still struggling to regain her composure. She grimaces at the sight of her friend, pale and motionless in his father's arms. With a shaking breath, she lowers her eyes. _Please gods...please let him be okay...!_

And it seems, for once, the gods are listening. Because at that moment, Hiccup's brow furrows a little. He parts his ashen lips and takes a ragged breath, eyes fluttering open. With confusion, he realizes he's no longer at home in his bed. Nor paralyzed in a chair, awaiting the Dark One to take over.

He's laying in his father's arms, feeling exhausted and weak. But...miraculously..._alive._ "D-Dad...?" He whispers, even his voice box feeling incredibly tired.

Stoick's eyes snap open again and he stares at Hiccup as if in shock. For a long time, he doesn't say anything. And in that time, Hiccup's eyes trail down to the stain on red on his father's tunic. His face screws into a frown.

"Sorry...about that..." He mumbles, nodding to the stab wound. "I didn't...mean to..."

Astrid smiles in relief, finally managing to pull herself to her feet. She looks over at Toothless, who is watching the scene before him with a satisfied look on his face. His tail slowly sweeps back and forth across the floor like a pleased dog. But he doesn't interrupt their moment. Instead, the Night Fury looks back at Astrid and coos quietly at her. She smirks and pats his head, whispering, "I'm glad too... It's finally over."

"Hiccup..." Stoick says, his voice trembling a bit. If his son didn't know better, he'd think he sees tears brimming in his father's eyes. Stoick smiles at him and, without warning, yanks Hiccup against his chest, wrapping him in the tightest embrace he's ever felt. "Thank gods..." He breathes. "Thank gods you're alright..."

Hiccup chuckles weakly, vaguely wondering what happened. He can't remember a thing after Aragwen started drawing those marks on him... And suddenly, Hiccup's heart leaps into his throat. Where is Aragwen?!

He's about to voice is concern when a familiar, ghostly voice whispers in his ears, as gentle as breeze. _"She's gone, Hiccup. Gone forever."_

And with that, Hinrik holds up the Contract. It's the same scroll that had been locked up in the cabinet with Hiccup's potion. He breaks the black wax seal and lets it roll open. Then, lifting one of the many candles from a shelf, Hinrik sets fire to the Contract, watching with a cold expression as it burns away to nothing.

* * *

_**A/N: Wow, only one more chapter to go! Thanks so much you guys, you've been TO awesome! Thanks for bearing with me and putting up with my shenanigans through all these chapters. I love you guys :D**_


	26. Epilogue

_**Chapter Twenty-Six**_

_**A/N: Last chapter guys! Man, this has been quite an adventure. XD Thanks for all the review, follows, favorites etc...! I'm really proud of this one and I hope you guys liked it as much as I did!**_

_**My next fanfic will be for the HTTYD fandom and is called Ice (as of now). You can read the summary for it on my profile. Chapter one should be posted some time later this week.**_

_**Thanks :D**_

_**(finally a long-ish chapter! Better late than never, right...? eh heh heh...)**_

* * *

The sun is finally rising over the little island of Berk. It shimmers over the horizon, painting the sky vibrant shades of orange and pink. Its warm rays gently cue the people of the village that it's time to wake up and soon, the dirt streets are bustling as usual.

Dragons chirp and shriek as they flap through the air, landing on the roofs of houses. A few watch the treeline, as if sensing the calamity that has just occurred within its dark meadows. They cast each other knowing looks before gliding off to meet their humans for the morning.

It's at this point that a trio of figures come trudging out of the woods. By the slowness of their steps and the way their shoulders are slumped, they look exhausted. Despite the fact that one of them is carrying a fourth figure in their arms.

Gobber is the first one to see them. He narrows his eyes, wondering who would be wandering about in the forest at this hour... That is, until he sees recognizes the biggest one as his own friend, Stoick. The blacksmith hobbles toward them, concerned. "Stoick!" He calls. "What happened?!"

And Stoick looks up, only half surprised to see Gobber hurrying toward them. "Gobber," He says as the man gets within talking distance. He's too tired to shout. "I'll explain everything later...but for now, could you do me a favor and gather the Dragon Riders. I have something I need to tell them."

"Umm..." The old viking stares at Hiccup, who is limp in his father's arms once again. His face as pale as a sheet and mouth slightly ajar. "Of course, Stoick." He hesitates just a few more seconds before turning and running off toward the village.

Astrid glances up at the chief, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Sir...Hiccup is...going to be okay, right?" She asks quietly. Normally, she would never even think of him not pulling through. But there's just something about what Austri said before he left that disturbs her... _Hiccup is still alive, for now, but his body is growing weak. _She shivers. What is that supposed to mean? Is he going to get worse or better now that the Dark One is gone? He still looks awfully weak...

"Of course he will be!" Stoick insists, readjusting the boy's small frame against his chest. "He just needs some rest and then he'll be good as new."

She doesn't respond. _I hope you're right..._

* * *

Toothless is the only one who doesn't seem entirely drained of energy. In fact, now that they're home, he sees almost buzzing with excitement. The dragon sprints ahead of his companions, always waiting for them once he gets too far, and practically knocks the door off its hinges once he reaches his human's house.

He is, in a word, ecstatic. He can sense that the danger has passed and it's like a huge storm cloud finally just rolled away. And sure, he's still worried that Hiccup hasn't woken up yet, but he has confidence in his little human. Hiccup has been through worse than this. After all, at least he didn't lose a _limb_ this time!

But even so, after having woken up and exchanging a few words with his father, Hiccup had eventually passed out again. And didn't matter how much Toothless nudged him or whimpered in his ear, the boy just wasn't waking up. That's the only thing his dragon is worried about.

What if Hiccup never wakes up?

At that thought, Toothless slows his steps and turns to face his friends, who are just now approaching the house. Stoick quietly mumbles for Astrid to open the door and she obeys, silently ushering Toothless out of the way. The dragon eyes their facial expressions curiously, trying to decipher what they mean.

He's learned a lot about humans from his time with Hiccup but he's still not an expert...and their expressions are rather strange. He can't tell what they're thinking. Well, he can't tell what _Stoick_ is thinking. Astrid just looks tired and stressed, like she wants to go to sleep and forget this whole thing ever happened.

The Night Fury watches as Stoick carries Hiccup into the house and directly upstairs to his bedroom. The older viking places him on the bed and tugs a thick quilt over his body, his emotions still unreadable. Which is odd... Stoick is usually very outward about his feelings, particularly those pertaining to his only child. So why is he hiding them now?

"Thank you, Astrid." He suddenly says. "I can take it from here. Get home and get some rest. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you..."

She hesitates, despite herself. "Are you sure?" She asks him. "I mean, you've been through a lot today too. Maybe I should stay and-"

"No, it's okay." He assures her. "Go home."

With a little, weary sigh, Astrid nods and turns back down the steps. When she passes Toothless, she offers him a little smile and a pat on the head. And he can't quite be sure, but he thinks she whispers something like, 'He'll be fine'. Then, she disappears out the door.

* * *

An entire day passes without Hiccup waking up. As much as he doesn't want to take his eyes off his son, Stoick can't fight his exhaustion from the previous night and ends up dozing off into a fitful sleep.

Toothless is also napping lightly on his stone slab, ears perked for any signs that Hiccup might be regaining consciousness. The day had gone by with both of them knee-deep in anticipation and now, even he is feeling the weariness. And so Toothless naps in the meantime. Maybe getting some sleep will make the time without Hiccup go by faster...

That is...until a familiar shiver rolls up his spine and he instantly snaps awake. Toothless tilts his head, eyes wide with curiosity as he listens to the strange noise. Like multiple soft voices whispering all at once. He watches an odd shadow drift across the wall, toward the head of Hiccup's bed.

And he notes, with fascination, that Hiccup stirs a bit as it grows closer. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanishes into thin air. But not before flooding the room with an icy chill. Toothless can actually see his breaths puffing out in white clouds before him.

What's going on?

* * *

_Brr...why is it so cold in here...? _Hiccup wonders, drearily as his muddled mind finally works its way back into consciousness. He blinks open his heavy eyelids and, for a moment, just stares at ceiling, waiting for his vision to slide back into focus.

He sort of realizes he's no longer in Aragwen's cave but, at the moment, it's all his fuzzy brain can handle just to piece together that he's extremely cold all of a sudden. Shuddering, he reaches out for the blankets to pull them up. He wants to go back to sleep, he's tired!

But just as his fingers brush the quilt, it's tugged out from underneath them. Hiccup blinks again, this time in confusion. Did someone just pull the blankets off him? He looks around his room to find the culprit. But all he sees is his father, sleeping beside him, and Toothless, who is staring at him curiously from the other end of the room. There's no one else here.

So...who took his quilt?

Struggling to sit up, Hiccup gazes around his dark bedroom. He can feel himself gradually waking up and, as much as that annoys him because he'd wanted to go back to sleep, it's also sort of a relief. Somewhere deep down, he knows he was very close to death not too long ago...

He finds the blanket laying in a neat pile on the floor at the foot of his bed. But when he reaches out for it again, it's like sticking his fingers into an icebox. Gasping in shock, he takes his hand away again and holds it to his chest. Why is it so cold over there?

_"Window..." _The word floats through his mind before he even knows where it came from. And before he knows what he's doing, Hiccup turns and looks at the large window above his bed. Squinting, he realizes it's closed. So that's not where the cold is coming from. Then why-

Before his eyes, the glass fogs up. And then it's like watching an invisible finger drawing out its message. One by one, the letters appear until the words are complete. Hiccup gapes at it, unsure if he's actually awake anymore.

But regardless...

He crawls a little closer and narrows his eyes, trying to read through his blurry vision. But when he does, he feels a little tug in his chest. The boy smiles a bit and he sits back, deciding he's not dreaming.

With a little shake of his head, he gazes around the empty air of his bedroom. "I understand." He whispers. "I don't blame you." He isn't sure why he doesn't...he just doesn't anymore. He can feel it. She wasn't really as bad as he thought she was.

As soon as those words leave his mouth, it's like the atmosphere in the room lightens. It's suddenly easier to breathe and the room warms up again. Hiccup smirks and grabs the end of his sleeve, using it to wipe away the message she had left for him.

_"I'm sorry."_ It said.

* * *

_"To this day, I don't have much memory of what happened to me after I drank Aragwen's potion. Most of it is just a blur. When I try to think back, it just hurts my head. So I've stopped trying. _

_ The people are Farfalee have elected a new chief (Hinrik's cousin, I think...) and, as of now, they don't seem too displeased that Aragwen is gone. That's a major relief for everyone, especially my father. He had been worried about starting a conflict with them._

_ I've often wondered what, exactly, happened to Aragwen. But I don't really want to ask. Astrid assures me that she's gone and everyone is safe. And for the first time...I think I actually believe her. This nightmare is over. And things can finally, FINALLY go back to normal."_

* * *

_**A/N: WOOP WOOP! There you go, guys! I hope you liked it! **_

_**The ending sort of reminded me of Beyond Two Souls a little... (but that wasn't intentional) it just sort of happened that way.**_

_**Thanks for reading and reviewing! See you guys next time :D**_


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